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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 · shower · season · clip · board · stem · cabinet · bass

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. clip — to cut
  7. season — of the year
  8. shower — rain
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bass — low music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. board — to get on
  17. season — in sport
  18. board — a committee
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. shower — to wash
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. clip — a video

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