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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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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 · club · straw · mark · bay · shower · wave · mate

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. shower — rain
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mate — a partner
  10. board — a committee
  11. mark — a trace
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. board — to get on
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mate — to breed
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mark — a grade
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. club — a group

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