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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: scale · shower · bank · temple · straw · bore · pound · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pound — a weight
  3. shower — rain
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bank — of a river
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. shower — to wash
  13. scale — in music
  14. bore — to tire
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bank — for money
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bank — for money
  21. scale — size or range
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. plane — in geometry

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