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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
468
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: game · lash · patient · shower · fan · cabinet · stem · pound

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pound — a weight
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. shower — rain
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. stem — to come from
  24. lash — to lash out

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