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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: can · club · wave · mine · shower · trunk · board · mouse

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. shower — rain
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. board — a committee
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. club — a group
  10. mine — for digging
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. club — for golf
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. board — to get on
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. club — for dancing
  24. trunk — of a car

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