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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. net — after costs
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bank — of a river
  7. game — wild animals
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rest — what's left
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. net — in sport
  15. game — a match
  16. rest — a break
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bank — for money
  20. rest — what's left
  21. net — for catching
  22. bank — for money
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. patient — a sick person

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