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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. spring — a coil
  7. staff — employees
  8. mug — a face
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. current — of water
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mug — a cup
  13. current — happening now
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. craft — boats
  16. staff — employees
  17. mug — to rob
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. staff — a stick
  20. spring — of water
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spring — the season

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