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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. current — electric
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pop — soda
  5. craft — boats
  6. pop — to visit
  7. current — happening now
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. pop — music
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. kick — in football
  16. shower — to wash
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. current — of water
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. patient — a sick person

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