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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: clip · deal · ground · object · can · shower · wake · board

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. ground — crushed
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wake — a trail
  7. object — a thing
  8. shower — rain
  9. board — a committee
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. can — a tin
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. board — to get on
  19. shower — to wash
  20. object — to protest
  21. can — to be able to
  22. object — an aim
  23. clip — a video
  24. board — a flat piece

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