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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. charge — in control
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. charge — a price
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. vault — a safe
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rock — a stone
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wind — moving air
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rock — music

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