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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wound — an injury
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. spring — of water
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. current — happening now
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — for light
  10. current — electric
  11. firm — steady
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. firm — decided
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wake — a trail
  17. spring — the season
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. firm — a company
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. current — of water

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