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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: bank · shower · cell · bound · spring · temple · rest · court

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bank — for money
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. court — of a king
  12. bank — for money
  13. bound — tied together
  14. spring — the season
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rest — what's left
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. spring — a coil
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. spring — of water
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bound — certain

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