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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
468
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: club · rush · chair · present · lean · patient · shower · craft

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. shower — rain
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. lean — thin
  7. shower — to wash
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. chair — a leader
  10. present — the time now
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. present — there
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lean — to bend
  16. present — a gift
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. club — a group
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. craft — boats
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. club — for golf
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. craft — a skill

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