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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. track — a song
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. tube — a container
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pound — a weight
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. tube — the underground
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — for paper

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