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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: straw · temple · fan · rule · fork · jam · patient · shower

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. shower — rain
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fork — in a road
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rule — a law
  24. patient — a sick person

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