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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. current — electric
  5. bound — certain
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bound — tied together
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. bore — to tire
  13. current — of water
  14. bound — obliged
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bore — to drill
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. current — happening now
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. chair — a leader

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