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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 · deal · bay · racket · board · sharp · rash · lean

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. board — a committee
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rash — a series
  6. deal — to handle
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. lean — thin
  11. board — to get on
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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