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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: can · patient · wave · date · fine · shower · hand · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. shower — rain
  3. fine — all right
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. can — a tin
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. can — to be able to
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. hand — in cards
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. can — a tin
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. row — a line
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. hand — help
  23. fine — high quality
  24. date — on the calendar

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