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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. shower — rain
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. staff — a stick
  7. charge — in control
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. staff — employees
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fork — in a road
  12. staff — employees
  13. charge — a price
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. charge — electricity
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. tube — a container

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