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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: present · mine · fine · rash · current · bear · shower · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. shower — rain
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fine — high quality
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. shower — to wash
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. fine — all right
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. current — of water
  20. rash — a series
  21. season — of the year
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. present — there
  24. fine — a penalty

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