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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: rest · shower · game · hide · wake · plane · rock · pound

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rock — music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rock — a stone
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rest — what's left
  17. game — a match
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pound — a weight
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rest — a break

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