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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: rash · mark · wake · board · arm · squash · shower · patient

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. board — a committee
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rash — a series
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mark — a trace
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wake — a trail
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mark — a grade
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. squash — to crush
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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