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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: march · ball · shower · rock · leaves · wave · squash · cabinet

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. march — the month
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. march — the month
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. march — music
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. squash — the sport
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. shower — rain
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rock — music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ball — a dance

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