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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: rash · branch · swing · shower · temple · saw · hide · file

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rash — a series
  3. saw — the tool
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. shower — to wash
  6. branch — a division
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. swing — in golf
  9. file — a tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. file — a document
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rash — hasty
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. swing — to play on
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — rain

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