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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: date · lie · face · straw · squash · shower · temple · stem

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lie — to recline
  5. shower — rain
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. face — to confront
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. face — to point toward
  15. squash — to crush
  16. face — part of the head
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stem — to come from
  22. date — the fruit
  23. shower — to wash
  24. squash — the vegetable

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