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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bear — the animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. ground — the earth
  5. current — electric
  6. spring — of water
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. current — of water
  9. ground — a position
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mine — for digging
  16. spring — the season
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lash — to lash out

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