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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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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. rash — hasty
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. current — electric
  19. rash — a series
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. current — happening now
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bear — the animal

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