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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. key — for a lock
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. present — the time now
  7. clip — to cut
  8. hand — help
  9. key — in music
  10. board — a committee
  11. clip — a video
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. present — a gift
  14. key — the most important part
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. clip — for paper
  17. present — there
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. board — to get on
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. charge — electricity
  23. hand — in cards
  24. charge — in control

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