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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: leaves · fork · key · lash · board · date · shower · face

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. key — in music
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. key — for a lock
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. shower — to wash
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. face — to confront
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fork — in a road
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. key — the most important part
  23. face — part of the head
  24. board — a committee

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