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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. cap — a hat
  3. wound — an injury
  4. shower — rain
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. present — a gift
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. board — to get on
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. present — there
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. present — the time now
  16. cap — of ice
  17. vault — a safe
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cap — a lid
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. shower — to wash
  23. board — a committee
  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