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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.

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: game · rule · fine · stick · hide · straw · patient · current

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. current — happening now
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rule — a law
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. current — of water
  17. fine — high quality
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. current — electric
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fine — all right
  24. rule — government

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