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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tear — from crying
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. current — of water
  8. prune — to trim
  9. tear — to rip
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. current — electric
  19. capital — money
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. current — happening now
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. capital — a city
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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