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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 116 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: lean · shower · pop · board · patient · staff · racket · tube

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. staff — employees
  5. shower — rain
  6. lean — thin
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. tube — the underground
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pop — music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — a committee
  14. shower — to wash
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. board — to get on
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. tube — a container
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. staff — employees
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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