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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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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: bore · nail · fan · shower · bat · firm · temple · chair

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. firm — decided
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bore — to tire
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. firm — a company
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bat — the animal
  23. firm — steady
  24. shower — to wash

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