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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.

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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: march · dip · temple · shower · mark · mate · lash · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. dip — to sink
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mate — a friend
  12. shower — rain
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. march — the month
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. march — music
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. march — the month
  23. mate — to breed
  24. temple — side of the head

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