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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: drill · sharp · game · toast · nail · wake · shower · temple

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wake — a trail
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. drill — the tool
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. toast — bread
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. drill — army training
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. drill — a practice
  14. sharp — clever
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. game — a match
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. game — wild animals
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. shower — to wash

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