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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: last · shower · bass · perch · dip · pass · hide · face

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. shower — rain
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pass — a permit
  9. face — part of the head
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bass — low music
  13. face — to point toward
  14. perch — the fish
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. face — to confront
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. shower — to wash
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. last — final

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