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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: fork · dip · shower · game · clip · temple · bear · firm

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. game — a match
  5. clip — for paper
  6. shower — to wash
  7. clip — to cut
  8. shower — rain
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. firm — a company
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bear — the animal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. clip — a video
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. dip — to sink

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