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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 · suit · bulb · shower · mouse · wound · track · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wound — an injury
  5. face — to point toward
  6. track — a song
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bulb — for light
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. track — a path
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. track — to keep track
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. shower — rain
  24. bulb — for light

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