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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
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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: mate · face · hide · charge · shower · present · spell · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. shower — rain
  3. present — there
  4. mate — a friend
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. face — part of the head
  7. shower — to wash
  8. present — a gift
  9. mate — a partner
  10. face — to point toward
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. spell — a short time
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mate — to breed
  16. charge — a price
  17. present — the time now
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. charge — in control
  21. face — to confront
  22. spell — letters
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. spell — magic

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