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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: bore · rush · face · saw · root · wave · shower · rock

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — rain
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rock — music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rush — hurry
  14. root — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. root — of a word
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bore — to drill
  19. root — the cause
  20. face — to confront
  21. shower — to wash
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rock — a stone

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