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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: kick · shower · fan · cue · bass · band · patient · arm

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. band — a ring
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kick — in football
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cue — for pool
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. shower — rain
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bass — low music
  20. band — a music group
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. cue — a signal

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