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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. current — of water
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mug — a cup
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. current — electric
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mug — to rob
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bat — the animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. current — happening now
  18. mug — a face
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. branch — a division
  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