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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: shower · kick · temple · deal · firm · rush · stand · hand

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. shower — rain
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. firm — steady
  18. hand — help
  19. firm — a company
  20. shower — to wash
  21. deal — to handle
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. kick — in football

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