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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 116 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. file — a document
  3. current — happening now
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. swing — to play on
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. snap — to click
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. current — electric
  15. file — a tool
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. file — a line of people
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. fork — in a road
  23. swing — music
  24. current — of water

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