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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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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 · tear · mug · bowl · stick · pound · snap · hide

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. tear — to rip
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. charge — a price
  10. mug — to rob
  11. tear — from crying
  12. charge — in control
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. snap — to click
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mug — a face
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pound — to hit hard

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