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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: wave · bark · scale · charge · plane · bear · shower · season

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. plane — a tool
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. charge — a price
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. charge — in control
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. charge — electricity
  15. season — of the year
  16. shower — to wash
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bark — to shout
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bear — the animal

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