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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
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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: fan · bore · patient · shower · game · wake · bound · mug

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. game — a match
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. shower — rain
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bore — to drill
  18. game — wild animals
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wake — a trail
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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