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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 120 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: file · temple · vault · bark · rash · ground · shower · patient

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. shower — to wash
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. shower — rain
  5. file — a line of people
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bark — to shout
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. file — a tool
  13. ground — crushed
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rash — hasty
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ground — a position
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rash — a series
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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