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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. ground — crushed
  3. board — to get on
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. firm — a company
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. firm — decided
  8. current — happening now
  9. ground — a position
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. plane — a tool
  12. chest — of your body
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. board — a committee
  15. ground — the earth
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. firm — steady
  23. shower — to wash
  24. chest — a box

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