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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: hide · shower · face · suit · arm · pit · wake · season

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. shower — to wash
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. face — part of the head
  7. season — in sport
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pit — in a race
  10. shower — rain
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. season — of the year
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. face — to confront
  24. pit — a hole

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