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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. current — electric
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. current — of water
  7. squash — to crush
  8. current — happening now
  9. squash — the sport
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spell — letters
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. dip — to sink
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. dip — to dunk

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