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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 120 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
468
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: stand · temple · shower · tube · bay · bat · wake · can

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. shower — to wash
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. can — a tin
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stand — to bear
  14. can — a tin
  15. wake — a trail
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. tube — a container
  22. shower — rain
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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