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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: march · rush · fine · roll · coach · root · shower · temple

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. march — the month
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rush — hurry
  6. root — of a word
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. root — of a plant
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. shower — rain
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. roll — a list
  15. march — music
  16. roll — a cake
  17. fine — all right
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. root — the cause
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. march — the month
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fine — high quality
  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