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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: bay · firm · snap · temple · bowl · chest · shower · club

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. snap — to click
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. club — for dancing
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. firm — steady
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. firm — decided
  16. club — for golf
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. chest — of your body
  21. firm — a company
  22. shower — to wash
  23. club — a group
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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