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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stock — shares
  4. fall — to drop
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rash — a series
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fall — to drop
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fall — the season
  16. current — of water
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. current — happening now
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stock — goods
  21. current — electric
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. deal — an agreement

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