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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: shower · stock · rash · roll · patient · bank · date · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rash — a series
  8. roll — a list
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rash — hasty
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bank — for money
  15. stock — goods
  16. bank — of a river
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stock — shares
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bank — for money
  23. roll — a cake
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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