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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. charge — in control
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. charge — a price
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. dip — to sink
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bulb — for light

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