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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: mouse · cabinet · shower · wind · face · staff · temple · pound

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. shower — rain
  5. staff — employees
  6. face — to confront
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. staff — employees
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. staff — a stick

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