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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: chip · bay · wake · season · tear · charge · shower · bear

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wake — a trail
  8. charge — a price
  9. season — in sport
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. charge — in control
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chip — for betting
  17. tear — to rip
  18. season — of the year
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. shower — rain
  24. chip — to eat

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