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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 120 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: patient · root · bound · current · charge · land · cabinet · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bound — obliged
  5. land — to come down
  6. charge — electricity
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bound — tied together
  9. charge — in control
  10. current — of water
  11. root — the cause
  12. charge — a price
  13. current — happening now
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. root — of a word
  16. land — ground
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. current — electric
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. land — a country
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bound — certain
  24. root — of a plant

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