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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 116 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: patient · bank · cabinet · mine · rock · chip · shower · fork

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. shower — rain
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rock — music
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bank — for money
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bank — of a river
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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