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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mug — to rob
  4. drill — the tool
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rash — hasty
  9. face — to confront
  10. stock — shares
  11. rash — a series
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stock — goods
  21. mug — a face
  22. current — of water
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rash — on the skin

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