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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: dip · charge · season · rest · rush · deal · pit · shower

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pit — in a race
  3. season — of the year
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rest — what's left
  7. season — in sport
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pit — a hole
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. dip — to sink
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. charge — a price
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. shower — to wash
  20. deal — to handle
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. shower — rain
  24. charge — in control

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