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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: rash · wake · roll · drill · rest · can · shower · board

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. shower — rain
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rest — what's left
  5. board — a committee
  6. drill — army training
  7. rash — a series
  8. roll — a cake
  9. rest — what's left
  10. shower — to wash
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. can — a tin
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rest — a break
  19. board — to get on
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. can — to be able to
  24. roll — on a roll

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