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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: bore · wave · degree · shower · chest · mug · board · wound

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wound — an injury
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mug — a cup
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mug — a face
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mug — to rob
  13. degree — an amount
  14. board — to get on
  15. wound — an injury
  16. board — a committee
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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