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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. lean — to bend
  3. shower — to wash
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. shower — rain
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lean — thin
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. can — a tin
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. nail — for a hammer

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