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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chip — to eat
  5. current — happening now
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. board — to get on
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — of water
  12. rash — hasty
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rash — a series
  17. board — a committee
  18. current — electric
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rash — on the skin

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