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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 120 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
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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: wake · bore · content · can · rest · patient · current · chair

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bore — to tire
  7. can — a tin
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. current — electric
  10. chair — a leader
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rest — a break
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bore — to drill
  15. current — happening now
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. can — a tin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. current — of water
  22. rest — what's left
  23. can — to be able to
  24. content — the amount

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