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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 120 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: pop · ruler · mate · temple · bank · shower · content · row

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bank — of a river
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bank — for money
  6. pop — to visit
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pop — music
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. content — the amount
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pop — soda
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. shower — rain
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. row — a line
  21. content — happy
  22. bank — for money
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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