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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fall — the season
  5. track — a path
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bore — to drill
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fall — to drop
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. craft — boats
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. charge — electricity
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. track — a song
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fall — to drop

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