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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 · charge · current · bore · wave · date · trunk · swing

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. swing — in golf
  3. charge — in control
  4. date — the fruit
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. charge — a price
  9. current — of water
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bore — to tire
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bore — to drill
  14. swing — music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. current — electric
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bore — gave birth

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