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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: swing · charge · spell · shower · leaves · firm · cap · tear

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. shower — to wash
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. swing — music
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cap — a hat
  8. charge — electricity
  9. firm — decided
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cap — of ice
  12. charge — a price
  13. firm — a company
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. spell — a short time
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. swing — to play on
  18. spell — magic
  19. firm — steady
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cap — a lid
  22. charge — in control
  23. shower — rain
  24. spell — letters

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