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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. current — electric
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. object — a thing
  11. ground — a position
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. object — to protest
  16. mark — a grade
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ground — the earth
  21. current — of water
  22. mine — for digging
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. object — an aim

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