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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 120 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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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: mug · ruler · rash · pit · chest · shower · patient · drill

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mug — a cup
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chest — a box
  13. rash — a series
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pit — a hole
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pit — in a race
  21. shower — rain
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rash — hasty
  24. chest — of your body

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