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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wake — a trail
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. board — to get on
  5. charge — in control
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. charge — a price
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. charge — electricity
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. staff — employees
  18. shower — to wash
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bear — the animal
  21. staff — employees
  22. prune — to trim
  23. board — a committee
  24. lie — to recline

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