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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.

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: tube · hide · charge · root · wind · racket · shower · bass

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. tube — the underground
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. root — the cause
  6. shower — rain
  7. root — of a plant
  8. tube — a container
  9. charge — in control
  10. bass — the fish
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. charge — a price
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. root — of a word
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wind — moving air
  24. hide — to keep secret

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