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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: patient · wake · bark · shower · branch · lie · cabinet · vault

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wake — a trail
  8. shower — rain
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. vault — a safe
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. shower — to wash
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. branch — a division
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bark — to shout
  24. branch — of a tree

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