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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. charge — electricity
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. row — to paddle
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. land — ground
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. scale — size or range
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lie — to recline
  16. scale — in music
  17. charge — in control
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. row — a line
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. charge — a price

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