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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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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 · charge · pit · land · craft · bear · dip · shower

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. charge — in control
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. land — a country
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. charge — a price
  7. bear — the animal
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. charge — electricity
  12. land — ground
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pit — in a race
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. craft — a skill
  21. land — to come down
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. craft — boats
  24. shower — rain

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