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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.

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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: pound · rush · pop · shower · suit · patient · nail · bay

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pop — soda
  3. shower — rain
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. suit — to fit
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pop — music
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. suit — in cards
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pound — a weight
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pound — to hit hard

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