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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: tube · arm · current · rule · patient · staff · swing · fan

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. swing — to play on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. current — electric
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. staff — employees
  10. tube — a container
  11. current — happening now
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. current — of water
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. staff — employees
  17. rule — a law
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. staff — a stick
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. swing — music
  24. tube — the underground

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