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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: race · clip · fine · saw · key · patient · wave · current

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. current — of water
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. current — electric
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. key — in music
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fine — high quality
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. saw — the tool
  14. clip — a video
  15. key — the most important part
  16. clip — for paper
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. race — the arms race
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. clip — to cut
  22. saw — the tool
  23. current — happening now
  24. key — for a lock

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