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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. chair — a leader
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. prune — to trim
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. dip — to sink
  9. content — happy
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. charge — in control
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. charge — a price
  14. content — the amount
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. prune — to trim
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. charge — electricity

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