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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. shower — rain
  5. club — for dancing
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. club — a group
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wake — a trail
  15. content — the amount
  16. prune — to trim
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. content — happy
  20. board — a committee
  21. club — for golf
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. saw — the tool
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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