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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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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: patient · fork · temple · root · track · shower · mouse · vault

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. root — of a word
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fork — in a road
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. track — a path
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. root — of a plant
  20. track — a song
  21. vault — a safe
  22. root — the cause
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. shower — rain

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