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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: ball · shower · fork · charge · wound · straw · face · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. firm — steady
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. firm — a company
  10. shower — to wash
  11. ball — a great time
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fork — in a road
  17. face — to confront
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. charge — a price
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ball — a dance
  22. shower — rain
  23. face — part of the head
  24. charge — electricity

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