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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. current — electric
  3. spell — magic
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. hand — in cards
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. staff — employees
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wound — an injury
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. current — of water
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — help
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. current — happening now
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. spell — letters
  24. rash — hasty

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