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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: temple · shower · key · bass · bowl · stem · drill · pass

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. shower — rain
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. key — for a lock
  9. drill — army training
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. shower — to wash
  18. key — in music
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pass — a permit
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. temple — side of the head

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