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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: plane · shower · firm · bowl · hide · spring · rush · face

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. firm — decided
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. spring — the season
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rush — hurry
  14. firm — steady
  15. plane — a tool
  16. spring — of water
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. face — to confront
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. firm — a company
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bowl — a dish

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