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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. current — happening now
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. clip — a video
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. clip — to cut
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. current — electric
  12. clip — for paper
  13. lean — thin
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. current — of water
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rush — a thrill

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