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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: wound · ground · rash · stand · charge · content · shower · arm

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. content — happy
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ground — a position
  9. rash — hasty
  10. ground — crushed
  11. content — the amount
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. charge — in control
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. charge — a price
  24. shower — rain

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