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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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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: date · wave · board · shower · bass · cue · stem · can

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. board — to get on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cue — a hint
  5. can — a tin
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cue — for pool
  9. board — a committee
  10. can — to be able to
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bass — low music
  14. date — the fruit
  15. can — a tin
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. shower — rain

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