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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: board · staff · wake · shower · lean · rest · spell · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rest — a break
  4. cell — a phone
  5. wake — a trail
  6. staff — employees
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. spell — a short time
  9. staff — a stick
  10. lean — to bend
  11. shower — to wash
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. board — a committee
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. rest — what's left
  17. shower — rain
  18. lean — thin
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rest — what's left
  21. board — to get on
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. staff — employees

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