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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: content · pass · rush · tear · wave · charge · can · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. content — happy
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pass — a permit
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. content — the amount
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wind — moving air
  14. can — a tin
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. charge — in control
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. tear — from crying
  21. charge — a price
  22. rush — hurry
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pass — to spend time

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