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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. present — a gift
  7. bound — certain
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rock — a stone
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. snap — to click
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bound — tied together
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. charge — in control
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. charge — a price

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