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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: temple · cue · shower · race · mug · bulb · stock · rush

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cue — a hint
  7. race — humankind
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — a signal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stock — shares
  15. cue — for pool
  16. shower — rain
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — a contest
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mug — a face
  23. race — the arms race
  24. temple — a place of worship

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