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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: shower · toast · mark · rock · face · jam · racket · date

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. shower — to wash
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. face — to confront
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. mark — a trace
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. date — the fruit
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. shower — rain
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rock — a stone

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