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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. march — the month
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. charge — electricity
  6. march — music
  7. charge — in control
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. march — the month
  10. face — to point toward
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. face — to confront
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. charge — a price
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pound — a weight
  22. face — part of the head
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. patient — a sick person

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