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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.

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: board · spring · band · nail · fan · tube · patient · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spring — a coil
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. board — to get on
  6. current — of water
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. current — happening now
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. board — a committee
  12. band — a ring
  13. tube — the underground
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. band — a music group
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. tube — a container
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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