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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. charge — in control
  3. staff — employees
  4. can — a tin
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. can — a tin
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rash — hasty
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rash — a series
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. charge — a price
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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