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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: shower · stick · wake · roll · plane · can · clip · board

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. board — to get on
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. clip — a video
  11. shower — rain
  12. roll — a list
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — a committee
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. clip — to cut
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. clip — for paper
  24. can — to be able to

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