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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rock — a stone
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. content — happy
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. content — the amount
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. current — electric
  15. rock — music
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. fine — all right
  20. current — of water
  21. wound — an injury
  22. current — happening now
  23. ball — a dance
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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