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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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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: band · fork · spell · can · squash · face · shower · season

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. can — a tin
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. face — to confront
  6. shower — rain
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. spell — a short time
  9. band — a ring
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. can — to be able to
  13. season — of the year
  14. shower — to wash
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. spell — magic
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. spell — letters
  21. can — a tin
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fork — in a road

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