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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.

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: mouse · wound · shower · board · mark · key · kid · leaves

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. key — the most important part
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. key — in music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. shower — rain
  22. key — for a lock
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wound — an injury

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