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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. bat — the animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pop — soda
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cold — an illness
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pop — music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cold — not warm
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pop — to visit

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