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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. charge — in control
  4. kick — in football
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — a partner
  7. charge — a price
  8. track — a song
  9. mate — a friend
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mate — to breed
  12. charge — electricity
  13. track — to keep track
  14. land — ground
  15. bear — the animal
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — a path
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bear — the animal
  21. land — to come down
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. land — a country

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