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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stand — to bear
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. current — electric
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. file — a document
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. current — happening now
  10. tear — from crying
  11. current — of water
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. file — a tool
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rash — a series
  19. tear — from crying
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. file — a line of people

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