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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. kick — in football
  3. saw — the tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. drill — army training
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wound — an injury
  10. current — of water
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pit — a hole
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. current — happening now
  16. drill — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pit — in a race
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. current — electric
  24. drill — a practice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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