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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 120 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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 — rain
  2. wind — moving air
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. track — to keep track
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. track — a path
  19. foot — a measure
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. track — a song
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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