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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: charge · firm · temple · bat · tear · rest · shower · pitcher

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. firm — steady
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. charge — in control
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. charge — electricity
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rest — what's left
  16. firm — a company
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. shower — to wash
  21. charge — a price
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. firm — decided

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