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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: spring · dip · current · jam · patient · drill · firm · spell

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. current — of water
  3. spell — magic
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. drill — army training
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. spell — letters
  14. firm — a company
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. firm — steady
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. firm — decided
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. spring — the season
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. dip — to sink

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