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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: shower · key · coach · fall · rule · patient · fan · craft

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rule — a law
  4. fall — to drop
  5. shower — rain
  6. key — the most important part
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. craft — boats
  10. rule — government
  11. key — in music
  12. shower — to wash
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. key — for a lock
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fall — the season
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rule — to rule out

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