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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. charge — electricity
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. row — a line
  9. charge — a price
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. can — a tin
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. ground — a position
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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