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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · wake · current · lash · deal · patient · bowl · cell

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. object — an aim
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. object — to protest
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. current — electric
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cell — in biology
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. object — a thing
  24. deal — an agreement

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