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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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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: object · content · current · snap · nail · patient · face · hand

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. face — part of the head
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. content — happy
  6. object — an aim
  7. hand — help
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. current — happening now
  12. face — to point toward
  13. current — electric
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. snap — to click
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. current — of water
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. object — a thing
  24. face — to confront

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