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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: saw · patient · rush · tube · content · staff · suit · can

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. staff — a stick
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. can — a tin
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rush — hurry
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. suit — to fit
  15. content — the amount
  16. staff — employees
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. content — happy
  20. staff — employees
  21. suit — clothes
  22. saw — the tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rush — a thrill

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