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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. degree — temperature
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. shower — to wash
  11. squash — the sport
  12. face — to confront
  13. bank — for money
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bank — for money
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. face — part of the head
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. degree — an amount
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rash — hasty
  24. degree — from a university

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