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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. hand — help
  4. present — a gift
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. current — happening now
  7. present — there
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. charge — electricity
  10. hand — in cards
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. charge — in control
  13. current — of water
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. current — electric
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. charge — a price
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. present — the time now
  24. patient — a sick person

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