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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: spring · roll · wake · deal · firm · shower · board · mouse

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. deal — to handle
  3. roll — a list
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. firm — decided
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. roll — a cake
  15. spring — a coil
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. firm — a company
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. firm — steady
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. shower — rain
  24. board — a flat piece

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