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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · wax · straw · root · shower · pitcher · rush · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. kick — in football
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wax — to grow
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. shower — to wash
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. root — the cause
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. shower — rain
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rush — hurry
  23. root — of a word
  24. rush — to hurry

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