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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: squash · spring · lie · shower · mouse · chair · cabinet · patient

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. shower — rain
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. shower — to wash
  16. lie — to recline
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spring — of water
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spring — the season
  24. cabinet — ministers

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