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

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. charge — electricity
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. charge — a price
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. perch — the fish
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. charge — in control
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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