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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · shower · wave · lie · ball · bark · mouse · stand

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. shower — rain
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mine — for digging
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. shower — to wash

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