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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. band — a music group
  4. can — a tin
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. shower — rain
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. roll — a cake
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. present — a gift
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. roll — a list
  18. present — the time now
  19. can — a tin
  20. present — there
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — to be able to
  23. shower — to wash
  24. patient — a sick person

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