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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: patient · current · kid · scale · sharp · board · lean · rash

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. board — a committee
  6. scale — size or range
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rash — a series
  9. lean — thin
  10. kid — child
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rash — hasty
  14. board — to get on
  15. scale — in music
  16. kid — to tease
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. current — of water
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rash — on the skin

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