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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · chair · racket · shower · can · wake · lie · present

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. chair — a leader
  4. can — a tin
  5. present — the time now
  6. shower — to wash
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. present — there
  9. can — a tin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lie — to recline
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. board — to get on
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. present — a gift
  20. board — a committee
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. shower — rain
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wake — a trail

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