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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. present — there
  3. current — of water
  4. rule — government
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lie — to recline
  7. current — happening now
  8. present — the time now
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bass — the fish
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rule — a law
  20. mate — a friend
  21. present — a gift
  22. bass — low music
  23. mate — to breed
  24. current — electric

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