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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. march — the month
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rest — what's left
  5. content — happy
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — in sport
  9. charge — a price
  10. content — the amount
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. march — the month
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. march — music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. season — of the year
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rest — what's left
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. charge — in control
  24. saw — the tool

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