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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 116 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: shower · patient · fan · pound · mark · net · leaves · lash

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mark — a trace
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. net — for catching
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. net — after costs
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. net — in sport
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pound — a weight

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