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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: bank · patient · pass · press · drill · fan · wake · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wake — a trail
  3. current — happening now
  4. bank — for money
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bank — for money
  7. drill — army training
  8. bank — of a river
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. press — to push
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. current — electric
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. press — a publisher

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