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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 124 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. current — of water
  3. mate — a partner
  4. drill — a practice
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. net — for catching
  7. current — electric
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. net — after costs
  10. pop — soda
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pop — music
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. net — in sport
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rock — a stone
  21. current — happening now
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. drill — army training

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