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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cell — a phone
  3. current — of water
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. current — electric
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. craft — a skill
  10. last — to go on
  11. hand — in cards
  12. craft — boats
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. current — happening now
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cell — in biology
  19. last — final
  20. bear — the animal
  21. last — finally
  22. bound — certain
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. hand — help

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