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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: cue · current · bear · trunk · patient · shower · sharp · race

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cue — a hint
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. current — happening now
  12. bear — the animal
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. bear — the animal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. cue — a signal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. race — a contest
  21. cue — for pool
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. patient — a sick person

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