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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. chip — to eat
  6. current — electric
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. branch — a division
  9. can — a tin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chip — for betting
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. current — happening now
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. current — of water
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. row — a line
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. can — a tin
  24. arm — a part of something

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