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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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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. spell — magic
  3. charge — in control
  4. fork — in a road
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. charge — electricity
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. land — a country
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. spring — of water
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. charge — a price
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. land — to come down
  19. spell — a short time
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spell — letters
  22. land — ground
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. patient — calm and waiting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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