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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: wind · pass · march · temple · shower · plane · mark · rock

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. march — the month
  8. wind — moving air
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rock — a stone
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rock — music
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. march — the month
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pass — a permit
  24. march — music

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