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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
468
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 · season · cold · bay · patient · rock · lash · spring

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. season — of the year
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rock — music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. spring — a coil
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — an illness
  21. season — in sport
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rock — a stone
  24. season — to add flavour

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