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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. current — electric
  4. rock — a stone
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rock — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. current — of water
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — to eat
  14. current — happening now
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hide — to keep secret

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