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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. charge — in control
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. staff — employees
  12. charge — electricity
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. staff — employees
  17. bear — the animal
  18. staff — a stick
  19. hand — help
  20. cell — in biology
  21. charge — a price
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lash — an eyelash

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