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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: cue · stock · arm · snap · fan · shower · bank · temple

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stock — shares
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stock — goods
  12. snap — to click
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bank — for money
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cue — a signal
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bank — for money

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