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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 120 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 · spring · cap · pound · chip · charge · wave · net

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. charge — in control
  3. net — in sport
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. charge — a price
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. shower — rain
  9. cap — of ice
  10. net — after costs
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pound — a weight
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spring — the season
  15. chip — to eat
  16. net — for catching
  17. spring — of water
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cap — a hat
  24. shower — to wash

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