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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 116 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: suit · mate · row · game · shower · cell · wave · board

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cell — in biology
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. board — a committee
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mate — to breed
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. suit — clothes
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mate — a partner
  22. row — a line
  23. board — to get on
  24. game — a match

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