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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: foot · fall · scale · content · shower · wound · toast · temple

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. shower — rain
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wound — an injury
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. shower — to wash
  9. content — the amount
  10. fall — the season
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. scale — in music
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wound — an injury
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. content — happy
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fall — to drop
  22. scale — size or range
  23. toast — bread
  24. foot — a measure

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