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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: shower · fan · wave · face · leaves · nail · lash · cue

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cue — a hint
  6. face — to point toward
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cue — a signal
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. face — to confront
  21. shower — rain
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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