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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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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: staff · board · stand · patient · hand · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. hand — help
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. current — of water
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. staff — a stick
  10. hand — in cards
  11. staff — employees
  12. current — electric
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — to get on
  16. staff — employees
  17. stand — to bear
  18. hand — part of the body

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