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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: lash · current · lean · sharp · bulb · patient · shower · court

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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 — rain
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lean — thin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — happening now
  7. shower — to wash
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lean — to bend
  12. sharp — clever
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. current — electric
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. court — of a king
  21. current — of water
  22. bulb — for light
  23. patient — a sick person
  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