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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: band · lean · shower · snap · patient · vault · pitch · temple

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. band — a ring
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. band — a music group
  6. lean — thin
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lean — to bend
  13. shower — rain
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. vault — a safe
  18. shower — to wash
  19. snap — to click
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pitch — completely
  24. temple — side of the head

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