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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: mug · ball · board · leaves · bear · temple · shower · wind

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. shower — rain
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ball — a dance
  13. shower — to wash
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bear — the animal
  16. board — to get on
  17. mug — a face
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bear — the animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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