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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: bore · mark · cue · content · current · lash · patient · clip

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cue — a hint
  3. current — of water
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. clip — to cut
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. clip — a video
  9. cue — a signal
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mark — a trace
  14. content — the amount
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bore — to tire
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. current — electric
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mark — a grade
  23. current — happening now
  24. content — happy

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