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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. rash — a series
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bear — the animal
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fork — in a road
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. branch — a division
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bear — the animal

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