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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 120 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
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: arm · current · patient · hide · staff · lie · tube · chair

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. staff — employees
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tube — a container
  7. current — happening now
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — of water
  11. lie — to recline
  12. chair — a leader
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. staff — a stick
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tube — the underground
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — to keep secret

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