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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: cue · calf · degree · clip · patient · fan · toast · shower

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. degree — an amount
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. degree — from a university
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. shower — rain
  11. degree — temperature
  12. clip — to cut
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cue — a hint
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. clip — for paper
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cue — a signal
  21. toast — bread
  22. cue — for pool
  23. clip — a video
  24. fan — a supporter

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