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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: perch · pass · shower · temple · tube · staff · race · land

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. race — the arms race
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. land — ground
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. race — a contest
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. perch — the fish
  12. race — humankind
  13. tube — a container
  14. staff — employees
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. shower — to wash
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. land — a country
  20. staff — employees
  21. land — to come down
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pass — a permit
  24. perch — for a bird

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