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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rock — music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. current — of water
  7. rock — a stone
  8. saw — the tool
  9. current — happening now
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chip — to eat
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rest — what's left
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. current — electric
  24. hide — to keep secret

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