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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: wax · row · spring · temple · charge · pass · hide · shower

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. row — a line
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. row — to paddle
  8. charge — in control
  9. spring — a coil
  10. wax — to grow
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. shower — rain
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. charge — a price
  24. hide — animal skin

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