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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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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: ruler · kick · board · wake · bay · shower · branch · snap

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. branch — a division
  4. kick — in football
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. shower — rain
  11. snap — to click
  12. board — a committee
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wake — a trail
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. board — to get on

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