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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.

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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: saw · patient · current · rest · board · race · stem · hide

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. board — to get on
  6. race — a contest
  7. board — a committee
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. current — of water
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. race — humankind
  19. current — happening now
  20. rest — what's left
  21. race — the arms race
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. saw — the tool
  24. current — electric

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