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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · current · spell · patient · shower · leaves · racket · lash

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. shower — rain
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. spell — magic
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. current — happening now
  16. spell — letters
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. shower — to wash
  20. current — electric
  21. spell — a short time
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. current — of water
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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