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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 120 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: coach · march · rush · fan · trunk · patient · tube · shower

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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 — a sick person
  2. shower — rain
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. tube — a container
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. tube — the underground
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rush — hurry
  19. march — the month
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fan — a supporter

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