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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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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: squash · kick · shower · drill · bear · face

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. face — part of the head
  5. shower — rain
  6. bear — the animal
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. squash — to crush
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bear — the animal
  13. shower — to wash
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. drill — the tool
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. face — to confront

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