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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: shower · scale · bore · object · can · bulb · straw · temple

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. shower — to wash
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bulb — for light
  5. shower — rain
  6. object — to protest
  7. can — a tin
  8. object — an aim
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. object — a thing
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. can — a tin
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. can — to be able to
  24. scale — for weighing

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