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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. charge — a price
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. land — a country
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spell — a short time
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. land — ground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. spell — letters
  14. march — the month
  15. spell — magic
  16. spring — of water
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. spring — a coil
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. land — to come down
  24. spring — the season

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