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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: row · patient · dip · cell · net · drill · face · current

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. face — to point toward
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. net — after costs
  8. drill — a practice
  9. current — electric
  10. row — to paddle
  11. net — for catching
  12. row — a line
  13. face — part of the head
  14. dip — to sink
  15. current — happening now
  16. net — in sport
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. drill — army training
  19. face — to confront
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. current — of water
  23. drill — the tool
  24. cell — in a prison

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