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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. season — of the year
  6. prune — to trim
  7. march — the month
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. prune — to trim
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. band — a ring
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. march — music
  15. band — a music group
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. current — happening now
  18. march — the month
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. current — electric
  21. kick — in football
  22. season — in sport
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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