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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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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: straw · rest · kick · patient · hide · band · current · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kick — in football
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. current — happening now
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a ring
  13. current — electric
  14. wind — moving air
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. band — a music group
  17. current — of water
  18. rest — a break
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rest — what's left
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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