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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. charge — a price
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. charge — electricity
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. perch — the fish
  9. content — the amount
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. charge — in control
  14. bass — low music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bass — the fish
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. content — happy
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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