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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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 · saw · patient · trunk · temple · object · fall · key

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. current — electric
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. saw — the tool
  7. key — for a lock
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. key — the most important part
  11. object — an aim
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fall — to drop
  14. object — to protest
  15. current — of water
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. object — a thing
  19. fall — to drop
  20. saw — the tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fall — the season
  23. key — in music
  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