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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fall — to drop
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fall — the season
  5. charge — electricity
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bound — obliged
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. kid — child
  13. charge — a price
  14. rest — what's left
  15. charge — in control
  16. kid — to tease
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bound — tied together
  19. drill — army training
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. drill — the tool
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rest — a break
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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