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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: wake · racket · shower · face · leaves · pop · dip · bowl

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wake — a trail
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pop — soda
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pop — music
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pop — to visit
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. shower — rain
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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