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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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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: kick · lean · shower · bank · wave · charge · bass · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bass — low music
  10. charge — electricity
  11. shower — to wash
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. shower — rain
  16. bank — for money
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bank — for money
  22. kid — child
  23. bass — the fish
  24. kick — in football

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