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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: rush · tear · shower · foot · club · temple · craft · racket

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. club — for golf
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. foot — a measure
  7. tear — from crying
  8. shower — rain
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. tear — to rip
  11. club — for dancing
  12. craft — a skill
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rush — hurry
  16. craft — boats
  17. tear — from crying
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. club — a group
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. shower — to wash
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

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