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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kid · object · shower · spell · content · staff · temple · lean

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. staff — a stick
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. spell — a short time
  6. kid — child
  7. staff — employees
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. object — to protest
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. object — a thing
  15. content — the amount
  16. kid — to tease
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. spell — letters
  20. lean — to bend
  21. shower — rain
  22. spell — magic
  23. staff — employees
  24. lean — thin

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