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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.

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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 · chest · patient · mark · file · mouse · bulb · dip

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. chest — a box
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. file — a document
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mark — a trace
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bulb — for light
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. current — happening now
  12. chest — of your body
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. current — electric
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. current — of water
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. file — a tool
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bulb — for light

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