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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. current — happening now
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. toast — bread
  12. current — of water
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. current — electric
  18. nail — on a finger

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