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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: shower · bear · temple · race · wake · foot · staff · dip

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. staff — employees
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. wake — a trail
  8. shower — rain
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. staff — employees
  15. race — a contest
  16. bear — the animal
  17. dip — to sink
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. staff — a stick
  21. race — humankind
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. race — the arms race
  24. wake — before a funeral

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