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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: mine · nail · patient · shower · wound · bank · cap · face

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wound — an injury
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cap — of ice
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bank — for money
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bank — of a river
  18. face — part of the head
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — rain
  22. bank — for money
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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