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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. club — for dancing
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. file — a document
  7. swing — in golf
  8. file — a tool
  9. toast — bread
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. swing — music
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. club — a group
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. file — a line of people
  19. charge — a price
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. club — for golf

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