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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: fall · bear · pass · charge · net · drill · pop · shower

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. charge — in control
  8. drill — the tool
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. net — after costs
  11. pop — soda
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. drill — army training
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fall — the season
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fall — to drop
  23. shower — rain
  24. charge — a price

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