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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 124 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rash — a series
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. charge — electricity
  14. craft — boats
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. coach — a trainer

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