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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: nail · arm · straw · wave · shower · track · hide · face

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. face — to confront
  3. track — a song
  4. shower — rain
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. shower — to wash
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. track — to keep track
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. face — part of the head
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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