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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.

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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: cabinet · wind · shower · hand · mark · charge · trunk · board

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. charge — in control
  7. shower — rain
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. charge — a price
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hand — in cards
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. charge — electricity

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