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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: face · bear · shower · deal · bulb · lash · nail · wake

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — to point toward
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bear — the animal
  11. face — to confront
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. shower — rain
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bulb — for light
  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