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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. current — of water
  12. ball — a dance
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wound — an injury
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. ball — a great time
  18. hand — help
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chair — a leader
  21. current — happening now
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. current — electric

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