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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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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 · object · dip · suit · wave · ground · can · temple

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. object — a thing
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. dip — to sink
  5. suit — in cards
  6. ground — the earth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ground — crushed
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. shower — to wash
  12. can — a tin
  13. object — an aim
  14. suit — clothes
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ground — a position
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. can — a tin
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. shower — rain
  21. object — to protest
  22. suit — to fit
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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