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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.

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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wind — moving air
  10. charge — electricity
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. charge — a price
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. charge — in control
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ground — a position
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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