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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: pound · bank · swing · shower · rash · temple · squash · saw

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rash — a series
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bank — for money
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. swing — music
  9. rash — hasty
  10. saw — the tool
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. swing — to play on
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. squash — the sport
  16. shower — rain
  17. saw — the tool
  18. swing — in golf
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pound — a weight

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