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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · charge · wake · scale · tear · stand · perch · shower

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stand — to bear
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. degree — an amount
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. charge — in control
  12. wake — a trail
  13. perch — the fish
  14. tear — from crying
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. tear — to rip
  19. shower — rain
  20. scale — in music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. charge — electricity
  23. degree — temperature
  24. charge — a price

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