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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: mug · toast · tube · drill · patient · field · season · shower

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. tube — a container
  5. mug — to rob
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. field — a subject
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. shower — to wash
  10. toast — bread
  11. shower — rain
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mug — a cup
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. field — farmland
  19. drill — army training
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. field — for sport
  23. mug — a face
  24. tube — in a tire

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