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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.

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: shower · charge · leaves · saw · wake · plane · fall · stick

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. shower — rain
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fall — the season
  7. charge — in control
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fall — to drop
  15. saw — the tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wake — a trail
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fall — to drop
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. saw — the tool
  24. charge — a price

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