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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. face — to point toward
  4. shower — rain
  5. face — part of the head
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. face — to confront
  13. can — to be able to
  14. spell — magic
  15. dip — to sink
  16. shower — to wash
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. dip — a sauce

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