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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: toast · kick · charge · mine · shower · cabinet · pit · wave

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. charge — electricity
  5. shower — to wash
  6. charge — in control
  7. mine — for digging
  8. charge — a price
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. kick — in football
  21. toast — bread
  22. pit — a hole
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. kick — a thrill

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