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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rash — a series
  13. rule — government
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. current — happening now
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. hand — help
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rule — to rule out

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