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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fall — to drop
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. club — for dancing
  7. roll — a list
  8. last — final
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. current — happening now
  13. row — a line
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. suit — to fit
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. suit — clothes
  20. last — to go on
  21. fall — the season
  22. suit — in cards
  23. roll — a cake
  24. fall — to drop

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