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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: trunk · band · mate · bay · rock · deal · patient · shower

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. band — a music group
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. band — a ring
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mate — to breed
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rock — music
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mate — a friend
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rock — a stone
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mate — a partner
  24. shower — rain

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