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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: rush · face · ground · wave · snap · nail · lie · shower

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. face — to confront
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. shower — to wash
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. ground — crushed
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ground — the earth
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. shower — rain
  22. snap — to click
  23. face — part of the head
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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