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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: shower · current · bear · arm · fork · patient · squash · season

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. squash — to crush
  5. shower — to wash
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — in sport
  9. current — happening now
  10. season — of the year
  11. current — of water
  12. bear — the animal
  13. current — electric
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bear — the animal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. shower — rain
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. patient — a sick person

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