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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
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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: bulb · board · fan · charge · shower · rock · spring · wound

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. spring — the season
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bulb — for light
  10. board — a committee
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rock — music
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. charge — electricity
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wound — an injury
  18. charge — a price
  19. spring — a coil
  20. charge — in control
  21. spring — of water
  22. board — to get on
  23. shower — rain
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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