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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 · shower · mate · rush · coach · chip · lean · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rush — hurry
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lean — to bend
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lean — thin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. patient — a sick person

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