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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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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: tear · jam · temple · leaves · stand · shower · deal · rash

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. deal — to handle
  10. tear — to rip
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stand — to bear
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. tear — from crying
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rash — a series
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. shower — to wash

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