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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lean — thin
  4. current — of water
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fine — all right
  8. lean — to bend
  9. hand — help
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. craft — a skill
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. current — happening now
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rest — a break
  24. coach — a trainer

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