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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. staff — a stick
  3. current — electric
  4. present — there
  5. ball — a great time
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. current — happening now
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rest — a break
  17. current — of water
  18. present — the time now
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. present — a gift
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rest — what's left
  23. spell — magic
  24. patient — a sick person

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