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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: mouse · rest · shower · tear · fork · season · face · craft

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rest — a break
  7. craft — boats
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. face — part of the head
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. face — to confront
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. season — of the year
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. face — to point toward

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