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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 116 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. current — happening now
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. last — finally
  11. current — electric
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. swing — music
  14. last — final
  15. fine — all right
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. spring — a coil
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. last — to go on
  20. current — of water
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

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