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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: cap · shower · game · temple · stem · rush · drill · toast

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. shower — rain
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stem — to come from
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rush — hurry
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cap — of ice
  22. game — a match
  23. toast — bread
  24. game — wild animals

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