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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 · mark · bank · race · shower · staff · ground

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. race — humankind
  7. mark — a trace
  8. staff — employees
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bank — for money
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bank — for money
  15. ground — the earth
  16. shower — rain
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. bank — of a river
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. staff — a stick
  24. temple — a place of worship

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