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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: mug · cap · jam · shower · patient · last · cold · nail

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. cold — an illness
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. shower — rain
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. cap — of ice
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. last — final
  22. mug — a face
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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