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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · bulb · lie · mate · pound · current · patient · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. current — happening now
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bulb — for light
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. current — electric
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. game — a match
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. current — of water
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — a partner
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a tool

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