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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. current — happening now
  3. rock — music
  4. lean — to bend
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. charge — electricity
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. shower — rain
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. current — of water
  12. rock — a stone
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. charge — a price
  17. current — electric
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rest — what's left
  20. charge — in control
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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