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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bank — for money
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bank — for money
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wound — an injury
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wave — of the sea

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