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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: stem · fan · scale · charge · wind · rock · can · shower

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. can — a tin
  4. scale — in music
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. charge — electricity
  7. can — a tin
  8. charge — a price
  9. rock — a stone
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. charge — in control
  12. can — to be able to
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wind — moving air
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. shower — rain
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stem — to come from

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