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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.

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: wave · shower · racket · pitcher · bore · squash · fall · charge

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bore — to drill
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. shower — rain
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. charge — in control
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fall — to drop
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. charge — electricity
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. charge — a price
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bore — to tire
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fall — the season

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