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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: hide · current · swing · sharp · can · chest · patient · root

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. current — happening now
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. swing — in golf
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chest — a box
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. swing — music
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. root — of a word
  15. current — electric
  16. can — to be able to
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. swing — to play on
  20. current — of water
  21. can — a tin
  22. chest — of your body
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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