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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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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: wave · current · deal · staff · patient · prune · rule · swing

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. staff — employees
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. staff — a stick
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. current — of water
  9. rule — government
  10. swing — to play on
  11. current — electric
  12. rule — a law
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. swing — in golf
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. current — happening now
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. staff — employees
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. swing — music
  24. deal — an agreement

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