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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.

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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: ruler · patient · racket · staff · current · hide · charge · wave

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. current — happening now
  3. staff — employees
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. staff — a stick
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. staff — employees
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. patient — a sick person

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