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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: clip · temple · shower · jam · ball · rest

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. ball — a dance
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. shower — rain
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. shower — to wash
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rest — what's left
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. clip — a video
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rest — what's left
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ball — a great time
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rest — a break

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