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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. face — to point toward
  3. staff — employees
  4. charge — in control
  5. bore — to drill
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. current — electric
  9. bore — to tire
  10. staff — employees
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hand — in cards
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. charge — a price
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. current — of water
  21. staff — a stick
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bat — the animal
  24. current — happening now

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