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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: ground · stick · temple · bound · tube · nail · shower · perch

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. shower — to wash
  2. bound — tied together
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ground — crushed
  7. tube — a container
  8. ground — the earth
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. shower — rain
  11. tube — the underground
  12. perch — the fish
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ground — a position
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bound — certain
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bound — obliged
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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