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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.

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: rule · racket · current · mate · face · patient · mine · branch

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mine — for digging
  5. face — to confront
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rule — government
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. branch — a division
  10. face — part of the head
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rule — a law
  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