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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.

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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: pitcher · shower · wave · key · dip · face · hide · chest

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chest — a box
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. key — the most important part
  8. shower — rain
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. key — for a lock
  12. face — to confront
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — in music
  16. face — part of the head
  17. dip — to sink
  18. shower — to wash
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wave — of the sea

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