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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: wake · rule · nail · current · mate · patient · track · content

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. content — happy
  4. rule — government
  5. current — of water
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. current — happening now
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rule — a law
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. track — a path
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. track — a song
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. content — the amount
  22. mate — a partner
  23. current — electric
  24. content — videos and posts

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