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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mug — to rob
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. current — happening now
  5. rest — what's left
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fall — the season
  12. current — electric
  13. mug — a cup
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rest — a break
  21. mug — a face
  22. game — a match
  23. current — of water
  24. rest — what's left

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