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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: bound · shower · current · object · cell · rest · patient · calf

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. shower — rain
  3. rest — a break
  4. object — to protest
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. object — a thing
  8. current — happening now
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bound — certain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cell — in biology
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rest — what's left
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. cell — a phone
  22. object — an aim
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. calf — a young animal

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