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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fine — all right
  4. shower — rain
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. club — a group
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. shower — to wash
  10. snap — to click
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. club — for dancing
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lean — thin
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. lean — to bend
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. club — for golf

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