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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: pitcher · wind · fine · mark · cabinet · bear · shower · temple

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. shower — to wash
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fine — all right
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mark — a trace
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. shower — rain
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fine — high quality
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fine — a penalty

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