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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 120 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: charge · wave · rock · tear · leaves · shower · track · can

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. tear — from crying
  5. can — a tin
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. shower — to wash
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. charge — in control
  12. shower — rain
  13. charge — a price
  14. can — a tin
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rock — music
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. tear — from crying
  19. track — to keep track
  20. can — to be able to
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. tear — to rip
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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