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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: firm · hand · temple · shower · chair · track · date · drill

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. drill — army training
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. track — a song
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. hand — in cards
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. shower — rain
  11. drill — a practice
  12. track — a path
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. shower — to wash
  16. firm — steady
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. drill — the tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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