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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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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: temple · pop · wound · deal · drill · root · rest · shower

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. root — the cause
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pop — music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pop — soda
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rest — what's left
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pop — to visit
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. drill — army training
  17. root — of a word
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. deal — to handle
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rest — a break

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