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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: patient · file · object · current · rule · toast · content · kick

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. current — electric
  2. object — a thing
  3. kick — in football
  4. current — happening now
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. content — the amount
  7. current — of water
  8. toast — bread
  9. file — a tool
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. object — to protest
  21. rule — a law
  22. object — an aim
  23. rule — government
  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