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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. current — happening now
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. branch — a division
  9. drill — army training
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. game — a match
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. drill — a practice
  16. current — of water
  17. key — for a lock
  18. drill — the tool
  19. key — the most important part
  20. current — electric
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. key — in music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. game — wild animals

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