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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 116 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: squash · rock · season · bass · wake · shower · cabinet · charge

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. charge — a price
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. shower — rain
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wake — a trail
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rock — music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. charge — in control
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. season — in sport
  23. bass — low music
  24. rock — a stone

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