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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.

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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: bank · rash · cold · calf · shower · bulb · rush · cabinet

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — an illness
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cold — not warm
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — hurry
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — a series
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bank — for money
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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