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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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468
Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. clip — a video
  6. charge — in control
  7. tube — the underground
  8. key — for a lock
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. key — the most important part
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. clip — to cut
  15. key — in music
  16. squash — to crush
  17. tube — a container
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. clip — for paper
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. squash — the sport

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