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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. current — electric
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. firm — decided
  6. season — of the year
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — happening now
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. current — of water
  12. chip — to eat
  13. lean — to bend
  14. firm — a company
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chip — for betting
  17. season — in sport
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. firm — steady
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. season — to add flavour

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