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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 112 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · squash · pass · face · shower · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. shower — rain
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. pass — a permit
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. squash — to crush
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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