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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bank — for money
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pound — a weight
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rule — a law
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. current — electric
  18. bank — for money
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rule — government
  22. row — a line
  23. bank — of a river
  24. patient — a sick person

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