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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. last — finally
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. last — final
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. last — to go on
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. current — of water
  13. tube — the underground
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. current — electric
  16. tube — a container
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. current — happening now
  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