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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: bat · toast · temple · kick · rule · shower

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. shower — rain
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. toast — bread
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rule — a law
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rule — government

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