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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: cap · shower · rock · fan · lie · bay · kick · bat

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. shower — rain
  11. cap — a hat
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bat — the animal
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rock — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bay — a horse colour

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