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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: suit · patient · lie · mine · current · file · fine · row

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. row — to paddle
  4. current — electric
  5. suit — to fit
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fine — high quality
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. current — happening now
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. current — of water
  13. file — a tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. row — a line
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lie — to recline
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. file — a document
  20. mine — for digging
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fine — all right

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