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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: cue · tear · fan · charge · hide · shower · race · board

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. tear — from crying
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. charge — electricity
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. charge — a price
  11. race — the arms race
  12. cue — a hint
  13. board — to get on
  14. race — a contest
  15. shower — rain
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. race — humankind
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — to wash
  20. board — a committee
  21. charge — in control
  22. tear — from crying
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cue — a signal

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