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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 116 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: chip · current · wake · patient · pound · object · lie · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. object — to protest
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pound — a weight
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chip — to eat
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. current — electric
  15. chip — for betting
  16. current — of water
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. current — happening now
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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