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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. charge — in control
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. spell — a short time
  9. charge — electricity
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bear — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. content — happy
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. spell — magic
  18. hand — help
  19. charge — a price
  20. spell — letters
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bear — the animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. content — the amount

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