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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. current — happening now
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. board — to get on
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. scale — size or range
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bore — to drill
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bore — to tire
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. scale — in music
  24. temple — a place of worship

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