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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
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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: sharp · current · plane · stick · charge · patient · fall · fan

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fall — to drop
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fall — to drop
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. fall — the season
  21. plane — a tool
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. current — of water
  24. sharp — with an edge

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