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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: face · kick · pitcher · stock · kid · temple · present · shower

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. present — the time now
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. stock — shares
  6. kick — in football
  7. shower — to wash
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. kid — child
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. present — a gift
  14. stock — goods
  15. present — there
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. shower — rain

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