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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: can · kick · march · row · tube · patient · bay · shower

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — the underground
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. shower — to wash
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. row — a line
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. march — the month
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. march — the month
  13. tube — a container
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. shower — rain
  17. kick — in football
  18. row — to paddle
  19. march — music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. can — a tin
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. tube — in a tire

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