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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: arm · clip · can · current · mug · bound · patient · tube

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bound — tied together
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. clip — for paper
  5. current — of water
  6. can — a tin
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. clip — a video
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. current — happening now
  14. clip — to cut
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mug — a face
  17. bound — obliged
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. current — electric
  20. mug — a cup
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bound — certain
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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