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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 · charge · stand · season · bound · wind · band · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bound — certain
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. charge — a price
  6. season — of the year
  7. charge — in control
  8. shower — to wash
  9. band — a ring
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. shower — rain
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. season — in sport
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bound — tied together
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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