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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: stem · charge · fan · staff · wave · ground · shower · last

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. ground — a position
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. shower — rain
  11. staff — employees
  12. charge — in control
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. charge — electricity
  15. staff — employees
  16. last — final
  17. ground — crushed
  18. last — to go on
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stem — to come from
  21. charge — a price
  22. last — finally
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. staff — a stick

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