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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: spell · shower · cabinet · temple · stock · cap · calf · wound

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wound — an injury
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cap — a hat
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. stock — goods
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wound — an injury
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stock — shares

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