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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — the time now
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. kid — child
  5. last — final
  6. degree — from a university
  7. current — happening now
  8. last — to go on
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. current — electric
  12. degree — an amount
  13. kid — to tease
  14. present — there
  15. degree — temperature
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. present — a gift
  18. last — finally
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. current — of water
  24. rock — a stone

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