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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. file — a document
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. current — electric
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bound — tied together
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bound — obliged
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. file — a tool
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. file — a line of people
  14. kid — child
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bound — certain
  17. current — of water
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. kid — to tease

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