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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: pop · race · ground · charge · rush · shower · wind · fan

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pop — to visit
  5. race — the arms race
  6. ground — a position
  7. race — a contest
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pop — soda
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. charge — a price
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pop — music
  18. charge — in control
  19. wind — moving air
  20. shower — rain
  21. charge — electricity
  22. shower — to wash
  23. race — humankind
  24. rush — hurry

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