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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. face — part of the head
  4. shower — rain
  5. bank — of a river
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rule — a law
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bank — for money
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bass — low music
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bank — for money
  21. face — to confront
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. face — to point toward

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