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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: rule · current · row · perch · patient · hide · bass · firm

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. current — of water
  3. firm — decided
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. firm — a company
  7. current — electric
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rule — a law
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. current — happening now
  12. firm — steady
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. row — a line
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rule — government
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. row — a quarrel

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