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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 120 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: bulb · mine · shower · row · charge · tear · pass · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. charge — in control
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. row — a line
  8. file — a tool
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. file — a line of people
  11. tear — to rip
  12. charge — a price
  13. bulb — for light
  14. tear — from crying
  15. row — to paddle
  16. charge — electricity
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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