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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.

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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: charge · patient · shower · can · arm · rush · present · march

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. rush — hurry
  5. can — a tin
  6. march — music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. charge — in control
  13. march — the month
  14. present — the time now
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — electricity
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. can — to be able to
  20. march — the month
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — a thrill

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