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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: temple · lash · suit · rush · degree · straw · shower · cell

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cell — a phone
  16. degree — from a university
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. rush — hurry
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rush — a thrill

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