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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: mug · race · current · rule · tube · shower · nail · patient

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rule — a law
  9. tube — a container
  10. race — the arms race
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mug — a cup
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. mug — a face
  22. rule — government
  23. shower — rain
  24. nail — for a hammer

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