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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bat — the animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. last — final
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. last — finally
  13. face — to confront
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. current — of water
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. object — an aim
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bore — to drill
  22. object — to protest
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. object — a thing

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