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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: shower · rock · mouse · charge · trunk · patient

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. charge — a price
  3. rock — music
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. charge — in control
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rock — a stone
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mouse — the animal

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