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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. present — a gift
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. shower — to wash
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. swing — music
  8. present — there
  9. rock — music
  10. shower — rain
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. swing — to play on
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. ground — a position
  17. present — the time now
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bank — for money
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bank — for money

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