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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. bass — the fish
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. current — happening now
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. current — of water
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. current — electric
  14. charge — a price
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bass — low music
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. face — to confront
  19. charge — in control
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. roll — a list
  22. last — to go on
  23. roll — a cake
  24. sharp — clever

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