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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: hide · rush · shower · wave · fall · lie · degree · chip

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. shower — rain
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. degree — an amount
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fall — the season
  15. degree — temperature
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rush — hurry
  22. lie — to recline
  23. shower — to wash
  24. degree — from a university

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