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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: tear · face · season · pit · can · shower · chip · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chip — to eat
  4. can — a tin
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pit — in a race
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. shower — rain
  11. face — part of the head
  12. tear — from crying
  13. season — in sport
  14. face — to confront
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. tear — from crying
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. face — to point toward
  22. tear — to rip
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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