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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: march · shower · swing · season · temple · straw · wound · cap

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. swing — music
  4. season — in sport
  5. shower — rain
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cap — a lid
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. march — the month
  12. season — of the year
  13. shower — to wash
  14. march — the month
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. swing — in golf
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. march — music
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. swing — to play on
  23. straw — a straw man
  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