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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 116 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: mouse · face · stick · season · track · hand · cap · shower

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. face — to confront
  5. shower — to wash
  6. track — a path
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cap — of ice
  10. shower — rain
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hand — help
  15. season — of the year
  16. cap — a lid
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cap — a hat
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. season — in sport
  24. face — part of the head

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