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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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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: wax · bowl · perch · charge · bore · fan · shower · staff

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. staff — a stick
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wax — to grow
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. staff — employees
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. shower — rain
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bore — to drill
  18. charge — a price
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. staff — employees
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. shower — to wash
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bore — gave birth

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