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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ball — a great time
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. charge — in control
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. saw — the tool
  11. charge — a price
  12. scale — in music
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. charge — electricity
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ball — a dance
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bat — the animal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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