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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: shower · rest · roll · cap · patient · tube · calf · cabinet

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rest — a break
  5. cap — a lid
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. roll — a cake
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. roll — a list
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cap — of ice
  17. tube — a container
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. shower — rain
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rest — what's left
  23. shower — to wash
  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