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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: rash · shower · plane · face · mark · can · bore · content

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. plane — a tool
  5. face — to confront
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rash — a series
  10. can — to be able to
  11. content — the amount
  12. face — part of the head
  13. can — a tin
  14. mark — a trace
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. face — to point toward
  22. can — a tin
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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