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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. charge — a price
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ground — the earth
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ground — crushed
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. charge — electricity
  16. ground — a position
  17. bulb — for light
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lean — thin
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ball — a dance
  24. charge — in control

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