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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. file — a tool
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. file — a document
  9. current — happening now
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. spring — a coil
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. roll — a cake
  16. current — of water
  17. bore — to tire
  18. roll — a list
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spring — the season
  21. file — a line of people
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. spring — 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