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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. pop — music
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bore — to tire
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. swing — music
  8. staff — employees
  9. march — the month
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. march — music
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. pop — soda
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bore — to drill
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. march — the month
  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