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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. kid — child
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. saw — the tool
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. current — happening now
  10. kid — to tease
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. fine — high quality
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mug — a face
  17. row — to paddle
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. mug — a cup
  20. row — a line
  21. fine — all right
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mug — to rob

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