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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 116 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: mouse · fan · plane · kid · patient · bore · trunk · current

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. plane — a tool
  4. current — of water
  5. bore — to tire
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bore — to drill
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. current — electric
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. current — happening now
  17. kid — child
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mouse — for a computer

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