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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
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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: dip · fall · shower · mine · rule · jam · rock · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — a stone
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fall — to drop
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rule — government
  11. shower — rain
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rock — music
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rule — a law
  24. fall — the season

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