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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: bat · stick · shower · pound · temple · lean · object · tube

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. shower — to wash
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. object — to protest
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. object — a thing
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pound — a weight
  16. tube — a container
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. object — an aim
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. shower — rain
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. temple — a place of worship

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