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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: bulb · spring · shower · jam · temple · perch · cue · hand

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. perch — the fish
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spring — a coil
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. spring — of water
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spring — the season
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. hand — help
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. hand — 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