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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: patient · cabinet · toast · pop · prune · wound · jam · shower

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. shower — rain
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pop — soda
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. toast — bread
  12. pop — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. shower — to wash
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pop — to visit
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. prune — to trim

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