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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · net · kick · rash · face · cue · shower · bear

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. kick — in football
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. face — to confront
  6. net — after costs
  7. cue — a hint
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. net — in sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. shower — rain
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bass — low music
  19. net — for catching
  20. rash — hasty
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rash — a series

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