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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: suit · mark · straw · patient · hide · date · mine · current

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mark — a grade
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. current — electric
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. suit — to fit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. date — the fruit
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mark — a trace
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mark — to pay attention

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