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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: shower · trunk · bore · game · charge · current · row · calf

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. charge — a price
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. charge — in control
  5. shower — rain
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — of water
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. current — happening now
  12. charge — electricity
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. game — a match
  16. bore — to tire
  17. row — a line
  18. bore — to drill
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. row — to paddle
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. current — electric

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