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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. roll — a list
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rule — government
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. current — happening now
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. current — of water
  17. rule — a law
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stand — to bear
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. vault — a safe

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