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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.

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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: pop · temple · shower · spell · hide · lean · rush · arm

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. spell — a short time
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pop — soda
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. spell — magic
  15. lean — to bend
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — rain
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rush — hurry
  22. lean — thin
  23. spell — letters
  24. pop — to visit

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