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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.

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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 · leaves · spring · season · patient · shower · pitcher · bay

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. season — in sport
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. spring — a coil
  7. shower — rain
  8. current — happening now
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. current — electric
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. season — of the year
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. current — of water

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