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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. present — the time now
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. present — there
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. present — a gift
  9. net — for catching
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wake — a trail
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bass — the fish
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. board — to get on
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. snap — to click
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. bass — low music
  24. snap — to snap out of it

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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