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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 · temple · patient · ball · last · shower · key · wake

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. last — to go on
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. current — electric
  5. wake — a trail
  6. key — for a lock
  7. current — happening now
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. key — in music
  10. shower — rain
  11. key — the most important part
  12. ball — a dance
  13. last — final
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. shower — to wash
  17. ball — a great time
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. last — finally
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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