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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: wind · rock · present · roll · temple · lash · shower · date

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wind — moving air
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. present — the time now
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. roll — a cake
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — rain
  14. wind — moving air
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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