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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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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: temple · stick · shower · object · mine · mate · deal · club

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mate — a partner
  3. club — for golf
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mine — for digging
  12. object — an aim
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. club — a group
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. club — for dancing
  18. object — to protest
  19. shower — to wash
  20. object — a thing
  21. shower — rain
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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