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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. charge — electricity
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a document
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. charge — a price
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. file — a tool
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mate — to breed
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mine — belonging to me

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