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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wind — moving air
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. current — happening now
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. current — electric
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. deal — to handle
  13. ground — crushed
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. shower — rain
  17. wind — moving air
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. ground — the earth
  20. staff — employees
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. current — of water
  24. ground — a position

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