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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 116 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: file · bear · lie · mine · shower · charge · can · ground

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. charge — in control
  3. ground — a position
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. shower — rain
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. charge — a price
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bear — the animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. shower — to wash
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. file — a document
  24. bear — the animal

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