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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. last — to go on
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — in control
  6. land — a country
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bore — to tire
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. perch — the fish
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. last — finally
  20. bore — to drill
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. last — final
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. charge — electricity

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