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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 120 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: chest · wound · patient · fine · season · shower · file · bulb

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. file — a document
  3. shower — rain
  4. file — a tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. file — a line of people
  7. fine — all right
  8. chest — a box
  9. wound — an injury
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fine — high quality
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. chest — of your body
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wound — an injury
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. shower — to wash

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