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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: date · stem · temple · swing · toast · rush · arm · shower

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. date — the fruit
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. swing — in golf
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. shower — to wash
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. arm — part of the body

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