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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. current — electric
  4. pass — a permit
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. current — happening now
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mark — a grade
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ground — a position
  15. mark — a trace
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ground — crushed
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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