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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mug — a face
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. scale — in music
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — happening now
  10. mug — to rob
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. current — of water
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mug — a cup
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rash — hasty
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fall — the season
  21. rash — a series
  22. fall — to drop
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. patient — a sick person

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