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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rock — music
  12. current — happening now
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bulb — for light
  15. current — electric
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bulb — for light
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rock — a stone
  24. vault — a safe

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