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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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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: cap · face · file · lash · hand · bore · shower · bulb

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. cap — a hat
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. face — to confront
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. face — part of the head
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. file — a document
  13. bore — to drill
  14. file — a line of people
  15. shower — rain
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. face — to point toward
  21. file — a tool
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bore — to tire
  24. hand — help

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