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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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. pop — to visit
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. shower — to wash
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. squash — to crush
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bore — to drill
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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