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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: patient · tube · rush · fan · craft · date · shower · can

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. shower — rain
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. can — a tin
  10. rush — hurry
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. can — to be able to
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. can — a tin
  20. craft — a skill
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. craft — boats
  23. tube — a container
  24. date — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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