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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: staff · wave · ruler · mark · chip · fan · temple · shower

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. shower — to wash
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. staff — employees
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mark — a grade
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. shower — rain
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. chip — to eat
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. staff — employees
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. temple — a place of worship

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