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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · shower · bulb · temple · patient · game · march · bass

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. shower — rain
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. game — a match
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bulb — for light
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. march — music
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bass — low music
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rush — hurry
  24. march — the month

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