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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: bowl · fine · wave · shower · present · temple · hide · pitcher

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. present — there
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. present — the time now
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. shower — rain
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. present — a gift
  24. fine — all right

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