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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: rock · mug · bulb · cap · current · shower · stand · rest

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. shower — rain
  3. mug — a face
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bulb — for light
  11. current — happening now
  12. rock — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rest — what's left
  16. shower — to wash
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rest — a break
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stand — for spectators

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