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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 · bulb · lie · pass · patient · coach · stand · fan

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stand — to bear
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lie — to recline
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bulb — for light
  20. shower — rain
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pass — a permit

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