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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 120 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: charge · mark · object · bear · pound · spell · chest · shower

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. chest — a box
  3. shower — rain
  4. mark — a trace
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — electricity
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mark — a grade
  10. shower — to wash
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bear — the animal
  14. object — to protest
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. spell — letters
  17. charge — in control
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. spell — magic
  21. charge — a price
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. object — an aim

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