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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: tube · shower · patient · charge · fork · staff · kid · suit

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. kid — child
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. shower — to wash
  8. suit — to fit
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. charge — a price
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. staff — employees
  13. fork — in a road
  14. kid — to tease
  15. tube — a container
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. shower — rain
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — the underground

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