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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: spring · pound · current · patient · charge · lean · cap · mouse

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. charge — in control
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lean — to bend
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cap — a hat
  8. current — electric
  9. charge — a price
  10. cap — of ice
  11. current — happening now
  12. spring — the season
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. charge — electricity
  18. current — of water
  19. pound — a weight
  20. spring — of water
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cap — a lid
  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