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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.

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 · pitcher · wave · shower · snap · file · cabinet · stem

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. board — to get on
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. snap — to click
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. board — a committee
  18. stem — to come from
  19. file — a tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. 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