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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
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: stick · charge · tube · bound · wind · scale · shower · stand

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. shower — rain
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. scale — in music
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. charge — a price
  22. bound — certain
  23. wind — moving air
  24. shower — to wash

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