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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. face — to confront
  3. can — to be able to
  4. race — a contest
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. ground — the earth
  8. current — of water
  9. race — humankind
  10. face — part of the head
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bore — to drill
  15. race — the arms race
  16. face — to point toward
  17. can — a tin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — a position
  22. can — a tin
  23. current — electric
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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