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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pound — a weight
  5. drill — army training
  6. chest — of your body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bank — of a river
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bank — for money
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bank — for money
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cell — in biology
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cell — a phone
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pound — to hit hard

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