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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mug — a face
  5. spring — the season
  6. board — a committee
  7. band — a music group
  8. spring — a coil
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. band — a ring
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mug — to rob
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. current — electric
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. current — of water
  20. board — to get on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — happening now
  23. spring — of water
  24. band — a rubber band

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