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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. current — electric
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. club — a group
  5. current — happening now
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wake — a trail
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. charge — in control
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pound — a weight
  13. charge — a price
  14. face — to point toward
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. current — of water
  18. club — for dancing
  19. face — to confront
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. charge — electricity
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — part of the head
  24. hide — to keep secret

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