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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.

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: snap · present · craft · mouse · charge · patient · spring · current

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. current — happening now
  3. charge — a price
  4. present — the time now
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. present — a gift
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. craft — boats
  12. spring — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. charge — in control
  15. current — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. craft — a skill
  20. snap — to click
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. present — there

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