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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rash — a series
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ground — the earth
  7. dip — to sink
  8. charge — a price
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. ground — a position
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rash — hasty
  13. squash — the sport
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. ground — crushed
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. object — an aim
  21. charge — in control
  22. foot — a measure
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. foot — part of the body

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