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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: trunk · patient · temple · suit · shower · sharp · mug · roll

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. roll — a cake
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. roll — a list
  7. mug — a face
  8. suit — to fit
  9. sharp — clever
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. suit — in cards
  12. shower — to wash
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mug — a cup
  16. shower — rain
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mug — to rob
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — clothes

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