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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 120 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: patient · straw · pitch · staff · pit · rash · shower · can

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. staff — a stick
  3. shower — to wash
  4. can — a tin
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. can — to be able to
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. can — a tin
  9. rash — a series
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. rash — hasty
  13. staff — employees
  14. pit — a hole
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pitch — completely
  19. shower — rain
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. staff — employees

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