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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: staff · rock · ground · shower · rush · temple · rash · stick

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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. rock — to move gently
  4. staff — employees
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. staff — employees
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rash — hasty
  15. ground — crushed
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rock — music
  18. rash — a series
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rush — hurry

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