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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. charge — a price
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — the earth
  9. face — to point toward
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. charge — in control
  13. bore — to drill
  14. face — to confront
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. club — a group
  19. ground — a position
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bore — to tire
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bulb — for light

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