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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. current — electric
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. current — happening now
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mug — a face
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. current — of water
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rush — hurry
  24. chip — for betting

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