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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · cap · stick · temple · shower · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cap — a hat
  4. shower — to wash
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. shower — rain
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. cap — a lid
  18. suit — in cards

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