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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: charge · stock · shower · safe · ruler · cue · wave · wound

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cue — for pool
  7. charge — in control
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stock — goods
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stock — shares
  22. shower — rain
  23. cue — a signal
  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