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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.

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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: mate · tear · stick · land · deal · charge · shower · wake

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wake — a trail
  10. shower — rain
  11. land — ground
  12. charge — a price
  13. land — a country
  14. mate — a friend
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mate — a partner
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. land — to come down
  24. charge — in control

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