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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
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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: mine · spring · current · patient · wave · chair · last · leaves

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mine — for digging
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. last — to go on
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. last — finally
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. chair — a leader
  15. spring — a coil
  16. last — final
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. current — of water
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. mine — an explosive

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