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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 116 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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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: bowl · kid · current · present · pass · rule · wind · patient

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. current — of water
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. current — happening now
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kid — child
  9. wind — moving air
  10. present — there
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. current — electric
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pass — a permit
  16. present — a gift
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. present — the time now
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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