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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: shower · row · mine · pass · staff · wave · lean · craft

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pass — a permit
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. craft — a skill
  13. row — a line
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. lean — thin
  20. staff — a stick
  21. shower — rain
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. craft — boats

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