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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. content — the amount
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. current — happening now
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. current — of water
  7. wind — moving air
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. current — electric
  12. foot — a measure
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. snap — to click
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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