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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: shower · content · board · rash · stock · temple · kick · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. board — a committee
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. shower — rain
  7. kick — in football
  8. content — happy
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stock — shares
  11. bank — for money
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rash — a series
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stock — goods
  18. bank — for money
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. board — to get on
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. content — the amount
  24. rash — hasty

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