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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: key · temple · pound · fork · shower · mark · dip · kick

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. key — in music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mark — a grade
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fork — in a road
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. shower — rain
  20. dip — to sink
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. kick — a thrill

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