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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: wake · saw · rush · game · bay · charge · shower · mine

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. saw — the tool
  3. charge — a price
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. game — wild animals
  6. shower — rain
  7. saw — the tool
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. shower — to wash
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. charge — in control
  16. game — a match
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wake — a trail
  24. game — a kind of play

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