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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 120 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: temple · chest · bank · mouse · shower · game · arm · dip

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. chest — of your body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. game — wild animals
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chest — a box
  10. bank — for money
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chest — of your body
  15. game — a match
  16. shower — rain
  17. bank — for money
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bank — of a river
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. dip — to sink

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