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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bound — tied together
  5. degree — from a university
  6. season — in sport
  7. root — of a plant
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pit — in a race
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. shower — to wash
  12. degree — temperature
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bound — certain
  15. band — a music group
  16. bound — obliged
  17. season — of the year
  18. root — of a word
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. band — a ring
  24. root — the cause

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