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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. charge — in control
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. charge — electricity
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mate — to breed
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. charge — a price
  18. patient — a sick person

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