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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. rash — hasty
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. current — of water
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — to wash
  11. swing — music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. current — happening now
  15. swing — to play on
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. current — electric
  19. bound — obliged
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rash — a series
  22. bound — tied together
  23. object — to protest
  24. swing — in golf

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