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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. file — a document
  4. current — electric
  5. firm — decided
  6. march — the month
  7. current — of water
  8. file — a tool
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. march — music
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. saw — the tool
  16. march — the month
  17. firm — a company
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. current — happening now
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. firm — steady
  23. wake — a trail
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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