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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 116 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: lean · kick · current · track · rush · patient · nail · shower

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rush — hurry
  4. kick — in football
  5. current — of water
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. lean — to bend
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. track — a path
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. shower — rain
  18. track — to keep track
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. lean — thin
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. track — a song

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