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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — a break
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. chip — for betting
  11. current — electric
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. current — happening now
  15. land — a country
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. land — to come down
  18. rest — what's left
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. land — ground
  21. current — of water
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. chair — a leader

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