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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: fine · deal · temple · track · bass · shower · bore · staff

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. staff — employees
  10. fine — all right
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bore — to tire
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. staff — employees
  16. shower — to wash
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. deal — to handle
  19. shower — rain
  20. staff — a stick
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bore — to drill

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