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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: cue · rest · arm · tear · face · hide · perch · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. face — to confront
  3. cue — a hint
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rest — what's left
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. face — part of the head
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cue — for pool
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cue — a signal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. shower — to wash
  15. tear — from crying
  16. face — to point toward
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. shower — rain
  22. rest — a break
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. perch — for a bird

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