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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ball — a dance
  3. board — to get on
  4. wax — to grow
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. current — electric
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. board — a committee
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rule — government
  18. ball — a great time
  19. kid — child
  20. current — happening now
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. kid — to tease
  23. current — of water
  24. rule — a law

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