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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wound — an injury
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bank — for money
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bank — for money
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. shower — rain
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. saw — the tool

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