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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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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: cap · wave · pitch · bank · fall · shower · temple · rock

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. fall — the season
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rock — music
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cap — a lid
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. shower — rain
  15. rock — a stone
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bank — for money
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bank — for money
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cap — of ice

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