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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 120 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
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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: chest · patient · cap · safe · shower · current · row · track

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cap — of ice
  3. current — happening now
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. cap — a hat
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. shower — to wash
  11. current — of water
  12. chest — of your body
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. current — electric
  17. chest — of your body
  18. shower — rain
  19. cap — a lid
  20. track — to keep track
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chest — a box
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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