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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.

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: fork · row · rush · march · temple · shower · spell · stock

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. march — the month
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spell — magic
  9. row — a line
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stock — goods
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stock — shares
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. march — music
  18. spell — letters
  19. march — the month
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — rain
  24. rush — hurry

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