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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. file — a tool
  4. current — electric
  5. last — to go on
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. file — a line of people
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pass — a permit
  14. lean — to bend
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. last — final
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. current — of water
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. last — finally
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lean — thin
  24. file — a document

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