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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: dip · temple · face · trunk · jam · pop · rush · shower

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rush — hurry
  6. dip — to sink
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pop — to visit
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pop — music
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pop — soda
  20. face — part of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. shower — rain
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. jam — in traffic

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