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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 · current · cue · date · bank · craft · kick · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. last — to go on
  4. current — electric
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bank — of a river
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bank — for money
  11. last — final
  12. cue — a signal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. craft — boats
  16. current — happening now
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bank — for money
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cue — a hint
  21. kick — in football
  22. current — of water
  23. cue — for pool
  24. kick — a thrill

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