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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fine — high quality
  3. current — happening now
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — of water
  8. rest — a break
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. fine — all right
  15. rest — what's left
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. current — electric
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hand — help
  24. stem — a stem cell

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