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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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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: wave · track · shower · rest · club · kick · charge · root

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. track — to keep track
  5. club — a group
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. charge — electricity
  8. root — of a plant
  9. charge — in control
  10. shower — to wash
  11. track — a song
  12. club — for golf
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. root — the cause
  17. kick — in football
  18. club — for dancing
  19. shower — rain
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. charge — a price
  22. rest — a break
  23. root — of a word
  24. track — a path

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