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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: shower · bound · bat · ground · mate · bay · rest · charge

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ground — a position
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. ground — the earth
  9. charge — a price
  10. bound — obliged
  11. shower — rain
  12. charge — in control
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bound — certain
  19. charge — electricity
  20. ground — crushed
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bound — tied together

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