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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: can · shower · fan · present · hand · snap · patient · ground

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. can — a tin
  3. ground — the earth
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. can — a tin
  10. present — there
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. shower — rain
  16. snap — to click
  17. shower — to wash
  18. hand — help
  19. present — the time now
  20. ground — a position
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hand — in cards
  23. present — a gift
  24. ground — crushed

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