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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. suit — in cards
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. current — electric
  7. drill — the tool
  8. face — to confront
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. tube — a container
  12. suit — clothes
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. face — to point toward
  16. drill — army training
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. drill — a practice
  19. face — part of the head
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. game — wild animals
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. suit — to fit

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