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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: calf · shower · branch · temple · ball · fan · patient · land

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. shower — to wash
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. land — to come down
  7. ball — a great time
  8. land — ground
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. land — a country
  13. branch — a division
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. shower — rain
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. calf — a young animal

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