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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: current · chest · patient · board · rock · nail · fan · object

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. object — a thing
  4. rock — music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. current — happening now
  7. board — to get on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. object — an aim
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. board — a committee
  17. rock — a stone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. current — of water
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. current — electric
  22. object — to protest
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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