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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · current · file · calf · net · present · chest · mouse

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. current — electric
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. current — of water
  8. chest — of your body
  9. current — happening now
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. chest — a box
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. net — after costs
  17. present — a gift
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. file — a line of people
  22. net — in sport
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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