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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · shower · cap · last · coach · game · stick · tube

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. last — to go on
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. game — a match
  5. tube — a container
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cap — a hat
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. shower — rain
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cap — of ice
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. shower — to wash
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. temple — side of the head

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