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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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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: chair · file · calf · current · dip · patient · rest · tear

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rest — a break
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. file — a line of people
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rest — what's left
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tear — from crying
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chair — a leader
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tear — to rip
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. current — of water
  24. dip — to sink

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