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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rock — music
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wound — an injury
  5. current — electric
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. current — of water
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. branch — a division
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. current — happening now

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