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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. current — electric
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — there
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mug — a face
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mark — a trace
  14. prune — to trim
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. band — a music group
  17. bore — to drill
  18. current — happening now
  19. present — a gift
  20. bore — to tire
  21. band — a ring
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. current — of water
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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