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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mark — a trace
  4. file — a document
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. file — a line of people
  10. charge — a price
  11. content — the amount
  12. mate — a friend
  13. craft — boats
  14. saw — the tool
  15. craft — a skill
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. file — a tool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mate — to breed
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. charge — in control

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