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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: dip · foot · temple · shower · swing · stick · racket · kick

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. shower — rain
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. swing — music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. swing — to play on
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. swing — in golf
  21. foot — a measure
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. kick — in football
  24. foot — part of the body

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