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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lean — thin
  8. fine — high quality
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. current — electric
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fine — all right
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. current — happening now
  15. snap — to click
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lean — to bend
  18. spring — of water
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mug — a face
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. current — of water
  24. mug — a cup

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