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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 · tube · can · game · net · rest · shower · toast

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. shower — rain
  3. game — a match
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. net — in sport
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rest — what's left
  11. net — for catching
  12. rest — a break
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. tube — a container
  17. game — wild animals
  18. toast — bread
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. can — a tin
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — after costs
  24. game — a kind of play

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