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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 · rush · wake · plane · toast · file · shower · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. file — a document
  6. rush — hurry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. charge — in control
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. file — a line of people
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. charge — a price
  20. file — a tool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ground — crushed
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — bread

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