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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: cold · rush · hand · shower · wave · cabinet · bound · charge

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. shower — rain
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bound — tied together
  11. charge — electricity
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bound — certain
  18. hand — help
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rush — hurry
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. cabinet — ministers

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