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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mate — a friend
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. charge — in control
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. shower — rain
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. shower — to wash
  19. charge — a price
  20. mate — a partner
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mate — to breed

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