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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. shower — to wash
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. shower — rain
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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