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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: bank · patient · branch · fan · bowl · safe · current · shower

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. current — happening now
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. shower — rain
  13. branch — a division
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. current — electric
  16. bank — for money
  17. current — of water
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bank — for money
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. shower — to wash

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