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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. deal — to handle
  3. spring — of water
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. roll — a cake
  10. spring — the season
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. current — electric
  13. branch — a division
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. roll — a list
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. spring — a coil
  19. current — of water
  20. last — final
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. patient — a sick person

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