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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 120 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: mouse · temple · calf · bound · hand · shower · fine · kid

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. shower — rain
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. kid — child
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fine — all right
  13. bound — tied together
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. hand — help
  17. bound — obliged
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bound — certain
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mouse — the animal

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