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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · season · wake · calf · shower · capital · plane · hide

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. capital — a city
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. shower — rain
  10. season — in sport
  11. capital — money
  12. season — of the year
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wake — a trail
  24. temple — a place of worship

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