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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: shower · rest · bound · stem · wake · craft · charge · bay

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. shower — rain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rest — a break
  9. bound — certain
  10. rest — what's left
  11. craft — boats
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bound — tied together
  17. craft — a skill
  18. charge — a price
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. charge — in control
  22. stem — to come from
  23. shower — to wash
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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