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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 · cap · perch · lean · can · bank · temple · pop

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. can — a tin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cap — a hat
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bank — of a river
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lean — to bend
  10. shower — rain
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lean — thin
  14. can — a tin
  15. bank — for money
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bank — for money
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pop — soda
  24. lean — to rest against

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