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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. current — of water
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rash — hasty
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rash — a series
  11. current — electric
  12. tube — a container
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. current — happening now
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mine — for digging
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rush — hurry

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