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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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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: temple · kick · present · bay · kid · shower · bass · bound

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bass — the fish
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. shower — rain
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. present — a gift
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bound — certain
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. present — the time now
  21. bass — low music
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. present — there
  24. bound — tied together

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