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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. can — to be able to
  7. prune — to trim
  8. staff — a stick
  9. can — a tin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. current — of water
  13. scale — size or range
  14. can — a tin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. staff — employees
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. staff — employees
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. scale — in music
  24. lean — thin

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