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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · wake · ruler · press · cabinet · board

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. press — a publisher
  6. board — to get on
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. press — newspapers
  11. board — a committee
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. shower — rain
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. press — to push
  18. cabinet — ministers

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