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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: stem · wave · chair · charge · mine · wound · shower · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stem — to come from
  6. shower — rain
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mine — for digging
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wound — an injury
  24. charge — electricity

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