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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. spring — the season
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rash — hasty
  7. spring — a coil
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. charge — in control
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rock — a stone
  13. charge — a price
  14. rock — music
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rash — a series
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. charge — electricity
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. kick — in football
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. toast — bread
  24. spring — of water

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