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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. row — to paddle
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rest — what's left
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rest — a break
  18. scale — in music
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. current — happening now
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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