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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: patient · rush · chip · shower · drill · chair · fine · staff

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chip — for betting
  6. staff — a stick
  7. drill — a practice
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. staff — employees
  11. rush — hurry
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fine — all right
  15. staff — employees
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. chip — to eat
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. drill — army training
  22. fine — high quality
  23. shower — rain
  24. chair — a leader

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