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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. club — for golf
  7. bound — certain
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cell — a phone
  17. shower — rain
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bound — tied together
  21. club — a group
  22. row — a line
  23. shower — to wash
  24. mine — for digging

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