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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stock — goods
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rock — a stone
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rock — music
  12. face — to confront
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stock — shares
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. drill — army training
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. face — part of the head
  19. drill — a practice
  20. charge — a price
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. charge — in control
  24. drill — 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