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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bass — the fish
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. capital — a city
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. capital — money
  19. shower — rain
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bass — low music
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rash — hasty

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