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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitch · patient · pound · rush · lean · mouse · shower · wave

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. shower — rain
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lean — thin
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. shower — to wash
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pitch — completely
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pound — a weight
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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