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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: lash · fork · drill · shower · temple · pop · mine · stand

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. shower — to wash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fork — in a road
  11. drill — army training
  12. pop — to visit
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mine — for digging
  18. shower — rain
  19. stand — to bear
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lash — to lash out

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