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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.

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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: temple · shower · arm · rash · rule · pop · fall · sharp

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pop — soda
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fall — to drop
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. shower — rain
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rash — a series
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fall — to drop
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pop — music
  21. rule — government
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pop — to visit
  24. temple — side of the head

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