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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 120 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. board — to get on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. file — a document
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bound — tied together
  9. board — a committee
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bound — certain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. shower — rain
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. fan — a supporter

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