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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ruler · fan · season · perch · patient · spring · rest

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. shower — rain
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spring — the season
  7. season — of the year
  8. rest — what's left
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. spring — of water
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. season — in sport
  14. perch — the fish
  15. spring — a coil
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rest — a break

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