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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 120 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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. object — a thing
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. current — of water
  15. kick — in football
  16. current — happening now
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. land — a country
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mark — a grade

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