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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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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: saw · craft · rush · bore · rash · shower · cap · face

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. face — part of the head
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rush — hurry
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rash — a series
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. shower — rain
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. craft — boats
  22. cap — of ice
  23. face — to confront
  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