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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: shower · race · stand · kick · current · bear

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bear — the animal
  4. current — happening now
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. current — of water
  11. shower — rain
  12. race — the arms race
  13. current — electric
  14. race — a contest
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. race — humankind
  18. stand — for spectators

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