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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. current — electric
  5. present — there
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. present — the time now
  8. current — of water
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ground — crushed
  11. present — a gift
  12. mug — a cup
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ground — the earth
  19. swing — in golf
  20. ground — a position
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. current — happening now
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

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