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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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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: rock · lean · prune · current · wind · patient · pound · shower

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wind — moving air
  3. current — happening now
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wind — moving air
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. shower — rain
  12. current — electric
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. current — of water
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pound — a weight
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rock — music
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lean — thin

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