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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: charge · bark · wake · fork · club · plane · spring · shower

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. club — a group
  5. bark — to shout
  6. spring — the season
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. charge — in control
  12. spring — of water
  13. club — for golf
  14. charge — a price
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. charge — electricity
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wake — a trail
  23. club — for dancing
  24. spring — a coil

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