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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: temple · mate · mark · hand · rock · swing · shower · pop

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pop — music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mark — a grade
  6. swing — music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rock — music
  9. hand — help
  10. swing — to play on
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mate — to breed
  15. shower — to wash
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pop — soda
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. shower — rain

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