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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pass — a permit
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hand — help
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. face — to point toward
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. firm — steady
  16. staff — employees
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. hand — in cards
  19. current — of water
  20. staff — employees
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. current — happening now
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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