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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: fall · saw · shower · suit · patient · pitcher · bay · can

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fall — to drop
  5. suit — in cards
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. can — a tin
  9. fall — the season
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. suit — to fit
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. fall — to drop
  16. shower — to wash
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. suit — clothes
  21. shower — rain
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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