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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — the earth
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. current — happening now
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. wind — moving air
  15. current — electric
  16. last — final
  17. ground — a position
  18. current — of water
  19. bore — to tire
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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