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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: current · bear · patient · degree · fan · mate · tear · rush

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rush — hurry
  3. degree — temperature
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — to breed
  7. current — electric
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bear — the animal
  12. current — of water
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bear — the animal
  16. degree — from a university
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. current — happening now
  24. tear — to rip

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