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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: current · march · wave · spell · cabinet · bear · patient · hand

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. march — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. march — the month
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. current — of water
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. current — happening now
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. march — the month
  18. spell — letters
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. current — electric
  22. hand — help
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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