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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. shower — to wash
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wind — moving air
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. shower — rain
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bear — the animal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. hide — to keep secret

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