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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: snap · shower · trunk · rest · patient · bank · sharp · key

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rest — a break
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rest — what's left
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. key — in music
  7. shower — to wash
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bank — for money
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. shower — rain
  13. key — the most important part
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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