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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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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: mouse · shower · rest · trunk · bay · patient · content · bat

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rest — what's left
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. shower — rain
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rest — a break
  15. shower — to wash
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. content — the amount
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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