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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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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: pop · date · object · shower · patient · jam · wind · cabinet

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. object — a thing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. object — an aim
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. shower — rain
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pop — to visit
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pop — music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pop — soda
  21. shower — to wash
  22. wind — moving air
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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