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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · game · temple · kick · charge · stem · hide · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. kick — in football
  3. face — part of the head
  4. charge — a price
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. shower — rain
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. charge — in control
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. charge — electricity
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. game — a match
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. game — wild animals

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