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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: shower · cold · pop · lie · temple · stem · jam · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pop — soda
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pop — music
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pop — to visit
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. lie — to recline
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. cold — an illness
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. shower — rain
  20. cold — not warm
  21. shower — to wash
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. lie — an untruth

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