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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: shower · scale · straw · deal · fan · temple · pass · clip

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. scale — size or range
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. shower — to wash
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. scale — in music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. clip — for paper
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pass — a permit
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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