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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: drill · rock · temple · calf · rush · cue · bark · shower

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bark — to shout
  6. drill — army training
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rock — a stone
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cue — a signal
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cue — a hint

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