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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: bound · face · wave · shower · fall · ball · club · lean

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. face — part of the head
  4. shower — rain
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lean — thin
  14. club — for golf
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fall — to drop
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bound — certain
  19. fall — to drop
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. fall — the season
  23. club — a group
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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