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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: bank · roll · lean · board · present · shower · bass · hide

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. present — a gift
  3. board — to get on
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. roll — a cake
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. lean — thin
  12. roll — a list
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. present — the time now
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bass — low music
  23. present — there
  24. lean — to bend

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