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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
468
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: rash · shower · toast · cabinet · present · foot · temple · spell

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. toast — bread
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. present — there
  9. rash — a series
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rash — hasty
  13. spell — magic
  14. shower — rain
  15. present — a gift
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. shower — to wash
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. foot — a measure
  20. spell — letters
  21. present — the time now
  22. spell — a short time
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cabinet — ministers

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