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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
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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: bound · fan · root · wave · shower · mark · kick · face

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bound — certain
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. shower — to wash
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. root — of a word
  15. bound — tied together
  16. root — the cause
  17. face — to point toward
  18. shower — rain
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. face — to confront
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wave — of the sea

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