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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · shower · patient · squash · rest · pitcher · temple · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rest — what's left
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. squash — to crush
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — what's left
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. squash — the sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pop — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. shower — to wash
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pop — soda
  22. shower — rain
  23. rest — a break
  24. squash — the vegetable

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