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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. current — happening now
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spring — a coil
  6. current — electric
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. game — a match
  10. staff — employees
  11. game — wild animals
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. staff — employees
  16. current — of water
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spring — of water
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spring — the season
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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