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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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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: spring · current · rule · kick · pass · chair · patient · rest

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. current — happening now
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spring — the season
  7. rest — a break
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. current — electric
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. current — of water
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rule — government
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. spring — of water
  22. rule — a law
  23. chair — a leader
  24. kick — in football

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