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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: mate · spell · fall · deal · scale · kick · shower · face

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. spell — letters
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mate — a friend
  5. scale — in music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. spell — a short time
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. face — part of the head
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fall — to drop
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. spell — magic
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mate — a partner
  19. face — to confront
  20. fall — the season
  21. shower — rain
  22. kick — in football
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fall — to drop

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