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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.

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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: patient · fall · current · wind · firm · rash · nail · charge

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rash — hasty
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wind — moving air
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. current — of water
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. firm — decided
  11. fall — to drop
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. charge — a price
  15. firm — steady
  16. fall — to drop
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fall — the season
  19. firm — a company
  20. charge — in control
  21. current — electric
  22. rash — a series
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. patient — a sick person

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