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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. saw — the tool
  3. current — electric
  4. staff — a stick
  5. last — finally
  6. current — of water
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. march — the month
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rule — government
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. current — happening now
  15. march — music
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. last — to go on
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — a law
  22. last — final
  23. branch — a division
  24. march — the month

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