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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
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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: cap · net · present · patient · can · wake · shower · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. can — a tin
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — in sport
  8. shower — to wash
  9. net — for catching
  10. present — the time now
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. present — there
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. wake — a trail
  15. race — a contest
  16. present — a gift
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. can — to be able to
  19. shower — rain
  20. net — after costs
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cap — a lid

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