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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: saw · present · patient · wake · mug · current · nail · mate

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. present — the time now
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wake — a trail
  7. saw — the tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. mug — a face
  10. current — electric
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mate — to breed
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mate — a partner
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. current — of water
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mug — to rob
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. present — there
  22. mug — a cup
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. present — a gift

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