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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. last — finally
  3. current — happening now
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. kick — in football
  11. spell — magic
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. current — electric
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wake — a trail
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. current — of water
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. last — to go on
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. spell — letters
  24. last — final

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