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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: current · mine · foot · spell · cell · fine · patient · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spell — magic
  3. current — of water
  4. mine — for digging
  5. current — electric
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cell — a phone
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fine — all right
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fine — high quality
  18. current — happening now
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. nail — for a hammer

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