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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rule — government
  4. mug — to rob
  5. craft — a skill
  6. charge — a price
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. current — happening now
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mug — a cup
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mug — a face
  14. fall — the season
  15. charge — in control
  16. current — of water
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rule — a law
  19. current — electric
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. craft — boats
  23. charge — electricity
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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