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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. scale — in music
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. shower — to wash
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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