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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 112 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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. squash — the sport
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mug — a face
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mark — a grade
  9. charge — in control
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mug — a cup
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. charge — a price
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wake — a trail

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