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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: bore · fan · lie · season · pound · tear · shower · ground

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. shower — rain
  4. ground — a position
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bore — to drill
  8. season — in sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. season — of the year
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. shower — to wash
  24. ground — crushed

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