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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: temple · patient · ball · cabinet · lie · chip · shower · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wound — an injury
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. shower — rain
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lie — to recline
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — to eat
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chip — for betting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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