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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: date · patient · trunk · shower · lie · bay · rule · bank

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bank — for money
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rule — a law
  9. shower — to wash
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bank — of a river
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bank — for money
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — government
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. shower — rain
  21. lie — to recline
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lie — an untruth

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