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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: stand · tube · face · ruler · bat · shower · bay · nail

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. face — part of the head
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. face — to confront
  20. shower — rain
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. stand — to bear
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. shower — to wash

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