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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · bore · charge · rash · shower · pitch · cap · staff

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rash — a series
  4. shower — rain
  5. rash — hasty
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cap — a hat
  8. staff — employees
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lean — thin
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cap — of ice
  15. charge — in control
  16. bore — to tire
  17. staff — employees
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pitch — completely
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com