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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: patient · hand · current · ball · toast · temple · fan · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. current — electric
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. toast — bread
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. current — of water
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. race — the arms race
  12. ball — a great time
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ball — a dance
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. race — a contest
  19. hand — help
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — happening now
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. hand — in cards

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