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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: row · craft · patient · fan · current · swing · rock · chair

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. current — electric
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. current — happening now
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. swing — to play on
  10. current — of water
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — music
  15. row — a line
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. craft — boats
  19. rock — music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. chair — a leader

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