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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: content · stick · patient · wind · leaves · mine · wake · current

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. current — of water
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. content — happy
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wind — moving air
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mine — for digging
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. current — electric
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wind — moving air
  20. content — the amount
  21. current — happening now
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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