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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: current · rash · sharp · temple · patient · pass · chair · board

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rash — hasty
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chair — a leader
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rash — a series
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. board — a committee
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. sharp — clever
  19. board — to get on
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. current — electric

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