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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: shower · wake · lie · wave · kick · board · bass · net

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. net — in sport
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bass — low music
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bass — the fish
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. shower — rain
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. kick — in football
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lie — an untruth

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