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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 116 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: rest · wave · spring · face · charge · tube · bay · shower

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. charge — a price
  4. shower — rain
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. spring — of water
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rest — a break
  15. face — to confront
  16. tube — the underground
  17. charge — in control
  18. face — to point toward
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rest — what's left
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rest — what's left
  24. tube — a container

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