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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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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: stand · bay · jam · rest · wound · file · temple · shower

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. file — a document
  6. rest — what's left
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rest — what's left
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. file — a tool
  16. shower — rain
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. rest — a break

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