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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: wound · prune · rash · kick · shower · bay · temple · bound

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wound — an injury
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wound — an injury
  13. shower — to wash
  14. kick — in football
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rash — a series
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. kick — with a leg

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