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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: cabinet · shower · branch · patient · bay · rash · temple · ground

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. branch — a division
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rash — a series
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ground — the earth
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. shower — rain
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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