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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. swing — music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. swing — to play on
  8. can — a tin
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. current — of water
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wound — an injury
  17. swing — in golf
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. current — happening now
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pound — a weight

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