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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: bound · shower · temple · board · rock · mine · scale · snap

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. board — a committee
  4. rock — a stone
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. board — to get on
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. snap — to click
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bound — obliged
  17. shower — rain
  18. scale — in music
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rock — music
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rock — to move gently

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