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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. wind — moving air
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. current — electric
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. current — of water
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. suit — clothes
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bat — the animal
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. degree — an amount
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. degree — from a university
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. current — happening now

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