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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: fine · snap · drill · pass · face · shower · rock · hide

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fine — high quality
  5. shower — rain
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. drill — army training
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rock — a stone
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. drill — a practice
  16. fine — all right
  17. face — part of the head
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. face — to point toward
  20. drill — the tool
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pass — a permit
  23. face — to confront
  24. pass — to spend time

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