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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 120 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. staff — employees
  4. charge — electricity
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. staff — employees
  9. kid — child
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bear — the animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. charge — a price
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bear — the animal

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