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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: mug · shower · pit · bark · hide · tear · rush · bowl

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mug — a face
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. shower — rain
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. shower — to wash
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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