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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: lie · pound · row · charge · shower · wave · content · stem

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. content — the amount
  6. shower — to wash
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. row — a line
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. row — to paddle
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. content — happy
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. charge — a price
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. content — videos and posts

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