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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. current — electric
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. current — happening now
  5. net — after costs
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. net — for catching
  8. craft — boats
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. hand — in cards
  12. drill — a practice
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. hand — help
  15. season — in sport
  16. craft — a skill
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. drill — army training
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. net — in sport
  22. current — of water
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. sharp — clever

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