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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.

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: shower · bowl · arm · clip · chair · face · season · leaves

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. shower — to wash
  4. clip — a video
  5. face — to point toward
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. face — part of the head
  9. clip — for paper
  10. season — in sport
  11. clip — to cut
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. season — of the year
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. face — to confront
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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