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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bound — tied together
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. current — of water
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fall — to drop
  16. current — electric
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. current — happening now
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bound — certain

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