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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stock — shares
  7. sharp — clever
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stock — goods
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. root — of a word
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. shower — rain
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. shower — to wash
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. tube — a container
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fan — a supporter

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