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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: plane · charge · club · shower · coach · wave · dip · arm

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. shower — rain
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. club — for dancing
  5. charge — electricity
  6. plane — a tool
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. club — for golf
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. charge — a price
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. charge — in control
  18. club — a group
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wave — of the sea

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