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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 · bore · shower · fine · hide · branch · season · tube

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. shower — rain
  3. season — of the year
  4. branch — a division
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. tube — a container
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — to tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — in sport
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. shower — to wash
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fine — all right

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