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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. charge — in control
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. band — a music group
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pit — a hole
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. drill — army training
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mine — for digging
  18. band — a ring
  19. pit — in a race
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. charge — a price

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