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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: patient · lie · bear · current · charge · ground · pound · tube

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. charge — a price
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. current — of water
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. charge — in control
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. charge — electricity
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ground — the earth
  14. tube — a container
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pound — a weight
  18. current — electric
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. current — happening now
  23. lie — to recline
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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