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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: hand · bowl · jam · charge · shower · leaves · patient · stem

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. shower — rain
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. hand — help
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. hand — in cards
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. charge — in control
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. charge — electricity
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. charge — a price
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bowl — to roll

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