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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: lie · chair · pitcher · fork · charge · wake · wax · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. charge — electricity
  8. chair — a leader
  9. charge — in control
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — rain
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. charge — a price
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wake — a trail

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