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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.

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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: band · bat · current · can · patient · object · bear · stem

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. bear — the animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. current — of water
  8. bat — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. current — electric
  11. object — to protest
  12. band — a music group
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. current — happening now
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. can — a tin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. band — a ring
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. can — to be able to

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