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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: rush · stem · nail · mine · current · foot · patient · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stem — to come from
  4. content — the amount
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. current — of water
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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