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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. face — part of the head
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. face — to confront
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. shower — rain
  11. file — a document
  12. face — to point toward
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. file — a line of people
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. toast — bread

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