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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · patient · pass · kid · current · prune · fan · firm

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. kid — child
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. firm — decided
  6. current — of water
  7. prune — to trim
  8. firm — a company
  9. kid — to tease
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. current — happening now
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pass — a permit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. current — electric
  24. firm — steady

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