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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: kick · jam · chest · shower · pass · face · bound · tube

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. chest — of your body
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. shower — rain
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. face — to point toward
  7. shower — to wash
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. face — to confront
  10. chest — a box
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. face — part of the head
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. kick — in football
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pass — a permit
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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