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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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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 · wind · foot · pound · mark · perch · charge · shower

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pound — a weight
  10. shower — to wash
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. shower — rain
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. charge — in control
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. charge — a price
  24. foot — a measure

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