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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: patient · leaves · bark · fall · current · charge · tube · mouse

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. tube — the underground
  3. charge — a price
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bark — to shout
  12. current — happening now
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. charge — electricity
  17. current — of water
  18. fall — the season
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. current — electric
  21. charge — in control
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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