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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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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: bass · shower · kick · present · face · toast · rest · patient

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. kick — in football
  5. present — a gift
  6. face — to confront
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. present — the time now
  9. rest — what's left
  10. shower — rain
  11. face — part of the head
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rest — what's left
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bass — the fish
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rest — a break
  21. present — there
  22. face — to point toward
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. shower — to wash

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