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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: file · spring · current · foot · patient · trunk · rule · ground

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. spring — a coil
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. current — happening now
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. ground — the earth
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. file — a tool
  12. spring — of water
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. spring — the season
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. foot — a measure
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rule — government
  20. ground — a position
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. file — a document
  23. ground — crushed
  24. foot — the bottom

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