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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.

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: scale · shower · pass · spring · degree · charge · current · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. spring — a coil
  3. shower — rain
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. scale — in music
  9. degree — temperature
  10. spring — the season
  11. current — electric
  12. shower — to wash
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. degree — from a university
  17. charge — a price
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. degree — an amount
  20. spring — of water
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. scale — size or range
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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