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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.

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: capital · mate · face · squash · shower · pitcher · hide · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mate — a friend
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. capital — a city
  11. face — to point toward
  12. capital — money
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. squash — to crush
  21. shower — rain
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. face — to confront
  24. squash — the sport

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