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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: current · toast · swing · safe · mine · fan · patient · bore

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. swing — in golf
  6. current — electric
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bore — to drill
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. toast — bread
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. swing — music
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. patient — a sick person

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