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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: cell · hand · shower · fan · cue · patient · mark · nail

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cell — a phone
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — for pool
  10. hand — help
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cell — in biology
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. nail — on a finger

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