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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. charge — in control
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. tube — a container
  15. mate — a partner
  16. kick — in football
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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