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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: bear · cue · bark · board · last · hide · spring · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. board — a committee
  5. last — finally
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. spring — the season
  10. last — to go on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. last — final
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. board — to get on
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. spring — of water
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cue — a signal
  24. shower — to wash

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