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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. current — electric
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cue — a signal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cue — a hint
  9. file — a tool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cue — for pool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. file — a document
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. current — happening now
  22. file — a line of people
  23. branch — a division
  24. current — of water

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