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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: key · wake · shower · can · saw · face · bay · rush

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. can — a tin
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. saw — the tool
  6. face — part of the head
  7. saw — the tool
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. face — to confront
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. key — in music
  16. rush — hurry
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. can — a tin
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wake — a trail
  22. shower — rain
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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