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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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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: fine · tube · cell · clip · pound · current · leaves · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. current — electric
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. tube — a container
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. current — of water
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. clip — a video
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cell — a phone
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. clip — to cut
  21. tube — the underground
  22. current — happening now
  23. fine — all right
  24. cell — in biology

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