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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. shower — rain
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. drill — army training
  6. press — newspapers
  7. drill — the tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. kid — child
  12. shower — to wash
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. stand — to bear
  15. press — to push
  16. row — a line
  17. press — a publisher
  18. row — to paddle
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. kid — to tease
  24. coach — a trainer

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