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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bank — for money
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. ground — the earth
  10. plane — a tool
  11. ground — a position
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bank — of a river
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ground — crushed
  21. shower — rain
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. shower — to wash

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