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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. current — electric
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lean — to bend
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rest — a break
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. spell — magic
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. current — happening now
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. row — a line
  19. lean — thin
  20. spell — letters
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. chip — to eat
  23. current — of water
  24. spell — a short time

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