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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: temple · mouse · shower · bass · tube · track · kick · march

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. tube — a container
  3. track — to keep track
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. shower — rain
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. march — the month
  21. kick — in football
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bass — low music
  24. mouse — the animal

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