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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. snap — to click
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spring — of water
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. charge — a price
  10. spring — the season
  11. charge — in control
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. board — a committee
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bulb — for light
  17. board — to get on
  18. mate — to breed
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bore — to tire
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. spring — a coil
  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