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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bat — the animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. charge — in control
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. charge — a price
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. can — to be able to
  24. chest — a box

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