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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: hand · wound · bowl · dip · patient · shower · current · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. hand — help
  7. shower — to wash
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. current — electric
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wound — an injury
  15. dip — to sink
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. current — happening now
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. shower — rain
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bowl — a dish
  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