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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. current — happening now
  8. wax — to grow
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. present — the time now
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. present — there
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rash — a series
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. chest — of your body
  20. firm — a company
  21. current — electric
  22. present — a gift
  23. chest — a box
  24. current — of water

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