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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. charge — in control
  4. spring — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. firm — steady
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spring — a coil
  9. firm — decided
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. charge — a price
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bass — low music
  19. spring — of water
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fall — to drop
  23. firm — a company
  24. charge — electricity

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