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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mark — a grade
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wind — moving air
  8. current — happening now
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. current — of water
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wind — moving air
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. sharp — clever
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. suit — to fit

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