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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: wind · board · mark · shower · hide · bay · stick · leaves

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. shower — rain
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wind — moving air
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wind — moving air
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mark — a grade
  19. board — to get on
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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