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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 120 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: squash · cabinet · net · shower · bark · dip · stand · temple

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. net — after costs
  12. stand — to bear
  13. shower — rain
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. net — for catching
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. net — in sport
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bark — to shout

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