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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 116 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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. face — to confront
  5. cold — an illness
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cold — not warm
  9. shower — rain
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. face — part of the head
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wax — to grow
  24. safe — out of danger

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