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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. squash — the sport
  4. ball — a great time
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. land — ground
  10. rush — hurry
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. vault — a safe
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. land — a country
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. land — to come down
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. ball — a dance
  24. hide — animal skin

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