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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: rock · fan · shower · ball · temple · rash · trunk · plane

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. plane — a tool
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ball — a dance
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. ball — a great time
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rock — music
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rash — a series
  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