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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 · wax · chest · prune · patient · board · date · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. current — of water
  3. shower — rain
  4. chest — of your body
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — to get on
  14. current — happening now
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. current — electric
  22. date — the fruit
  23. board — a committee
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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