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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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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: file · wind · shower · can · club · bay · wave · bowl

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. file — a tool
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wind — moving air
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. file — a document
  18. club — for golf
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. shower — rain
  21. file — a line of people
  22. club — a group
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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