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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.

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: shower · pop · dip · mine · temple · hide · wave · mug

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — soda
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mug — to rob
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mug — a face
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mug — a cup
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pop — music
  19. dip — to sink
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. temple — a place of worship

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