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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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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 · deal · patient · ruler · sharp · mug · kick · rush

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. shower — to wash
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mug — a cup
  6. deal — to handle
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. shower — rain
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rush — hurry
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mug — a face
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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