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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 116 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: pit · shower · wake · cap · mug · trunk · face · rock

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. shower — rain
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pit — a hole
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cap — a lid
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rock — music

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