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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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Word bank
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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: wake · board · lie · kid · shower · roll

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. roll — a list
  5. board — to get on
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. wake — a trail
  11. roll — a cake
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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