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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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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: band · rush · shower · face · hide · spell · fork · object

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. object — a thing
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. object — an aim
  8. face — to confront
  9. spell — letters
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. band — a ring
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fork — in a road
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. band — a music group
  23. spell — magic
  24. object — to protest

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