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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. drill — the tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. land — ground
  6. charge — in control
  7. land — to come down
  8. cap — of ice
  9. drill — a practice
  10. land — a country
  11. charge — a price
  12. mug — a cup
  13. charge — electricity
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mug — to rob
  16. drill — army training
  17. cap — a lid
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. row — to paddle
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. row — a line
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cap — a hat
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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