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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. current — happening now
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. current — of water
  10. sharp — clever
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. current — electric
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stem — to come from
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. toast — bread
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. nail — on a finger

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