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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: ground · bulb · nail · content · press · rush · temple · shower

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. shower — rain
  5. ground — crushed
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. press — a publisher
  13. content — the amount
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ground — the earth
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rush — hurry
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. press — to push
  24. ground — a position

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