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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. can — to be able to
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. shower — rain
  16. can — a tin
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. perch — the fish
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. can — a tin
  23. rush — hurry
  24. shower — to wash

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