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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tube — a container
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. current — of water
  8. can — to be able to
  9. court — of a king
  10. bound — obliged
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bound — tied together
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. court — of law
  17. tube — the underground
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. court — for sport
  20. current — happening now
  21. snap — to click
  22. dip — to sink
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. current — electric

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