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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pop — music
  3. cap — a lid
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pop — soda
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cap — a hat
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cap — of ice
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. charge — in control
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. charge — electricity
  24. saw — the tool

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