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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: lash · file · temple · shower · bass · season · field · stem

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. field — a subject
  4. file — a document
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. file — a line of people
  7. field — for sport
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bass — low music
  11. shower — to wash
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. shower — rain
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bass — the fish
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. field — farmland
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. file — a tool
  23. season — in sport
  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