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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. can — a tin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. face — to point toward
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. board — a committee
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. face — part of the head
  18. can — to be able to
  19. face — to confront
  20. shower — rain
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. board — to get on
  23. last — to go on
  24. can — a tin

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