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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. staff — employees
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rock — music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rock — a stone

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