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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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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: deal · wound · shower · charge · leaves · vault · pass · pound

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pass — a permit
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wound — an injury
  7. deal — to handle
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. charge — electricity
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. shower — rain
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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