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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. band — a ring
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ball — a great time
  6. staff — employees
  7. band — a music group
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. shower — to wash
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rash — a series
  22. kick — in football
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bulb — for light

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